Step 1: Call the appropriate office for assistance in filling out your petition/getting a TRO.
As soon as possible after the abuse occurs, you may want to call the local office or branch of the family court. They may schedule an appointment for you with an advocate to help you to fill out your petition for an order for protection and get a temporary restraining order (TRO). Be prepared to provide details about the abuse, including physical and psychological abuse, verbal threats and property damage.
You can reach them at the following numbers:
• O`ahu - Family court temporary restraining order office - (808) 538-5959
• Hawai`i - Alternatives to violence branch of child and family services - (808) 969-7798
• Kaua`i - Family court office - (808) 482-2330
• Maui - Law library/Service center/Jury pool office - (808) 244-2706
Note: Some of these steps listed in this section may vary depending on what circuit you are in. You may want to contact the appropriate office listed above to make sure that you are taking the right steps.
Step 2: Fill out your petition with an advocate or on your own.
If the court makes an appointment for you with an advocate, you can go to that appointment. An advocate will help you fill out the paperwork to file for an order for protection and to request a TRO.
If you prefer not to get help with filling out the petition and other paperwork, you can fill it out on your own. The paperwork is available at your local courthouse and online at the Hawaii Judiciary website. You will find links to the forms you will need at our Hawaii Download Court Forms page. For information on the courthouse in your area, please see our Hawaii Courthouse Locations page. However, you may want to consider going to the appropriate support office in your circuit as they can help you through the process and give you advice on safety planning.
On the petition, you will be the “petitioner” and the abuser will be called the “respondent.” Write about the most recent incidents of violence, using descriptive language - words like “slapping,” “hitting,” “grabbing,” “threatening,” “choking,” etc. - that fits your specific situation. Include details and dates, if possible. Describe any property damage, hospital visits because of the abuse, and whether the abuser owns or has threatened you with a weapon. Be specific. It may also be important to write any previous court action you have taken against the abuser.
Be sure to write your name and a safe mailing address and phone number. If you are staying at a shelter, give a post office box, not a street address. When you have completed the paperwork, the advocate will instruct you to bring the paperwork to the family court in your county.
Note: It may also be useful to bring identifying information about the abuser such as his/her home address, work address, a description and plate number of the abuser’s car, and information about his/her gun ownership.
Step 3: Bring your petition to family court.
When you bring your petition to court, a judge will look over your request and decide whether to grant you a temporary restraining order (TRO). The judge may ask you questions about your request or s/he may make a decision based on your application only. The abuser does not need to be present for you to get a TRO.
Note: You may not know right away if the judge will grant you the TRO. The clerk may instruct you to call back later in the day to find out the status of your petition. If you file early in the morning, you will usually hear back later that afternoon. If you file later in the day, you will likely hear back the next day.
Step 4: Pick up your copies of the TRO.
If the judge grants a TRO, the court clerk will give you two copies of the order. One copy will be for you, which will include the date of your order to show cause hearing. The other copy is certified, sealed, and stamped which can be used to serve the abuser.
Review the order before you leave the courthouse to make sure that the information is correct. If something is wrong or missing, you may want to ask the clerk how you can correct the order before you leave. Be sure to keep it with you at all times. You may want to keep copies in your car, workplace, or your child’s daycare.
Step 5: Police will serve the abuser.
The abuser must be “served,” or given a copy of the petition along with papers that tell him/her about the temporary restraining order (TRO) and the order to show cause (OSC) hearing date.
After the judge signs your TRO, you will receive a copy. It is your responsibility to make sure that service is completed. You will need to provide an address where the abuser can be found. In some circuits, you may have to take two copies of the TRO to the police station in the district where the abuser can most likely be located. In others, the court will ensure that the abuser is served. You may want to talk to the clerk before you leave the courthouse to make sure you know what the rule is in your circuit. Do not try to serve the abuser yourself.
Your TRO is not enforceable until the defendant is served.1 Once the police serve the order, they are supposed to take all firearms and ammunition from the abuser. You can read more about this in Can the abuser have a gun? You can call Hawaii Police Records and Services Department to ensure that the abuser has been served and your TRO is in effect.
1 See Hawaii Judiciary website
Step 6: The order to show cause (OSC) hearing
Within 15 days of being granted your TRO, an order to show cause (OSC) hearing date will be scheduled. The date and time of your OSC hearing appears on your TRO. A judge will hear all of the evidence and decide whether to extend your TRO beyond 180 days. If the judge believes that a final order of protection should be issued, s/he will grant you an order that can last for as long as s/he determines is necessary.1
You must attend the hearing or your petition will be dismissed. However, you can request to attend the hearing remotely instead of in person if you choose. The judge must allow remote attendance if your petition includes at least one allegation of domestic abuse as defined by law. If your petition does not include at least one allegation of domestic abuse, the judge has the option to allow remote attendance or not, after considering factors such as any lack of transportation, child care, and paid time off, as well as your fear of the respondent.2
If the abuser has received notice of the hearing, but does not show up, the judge will generally continue with the hearing. If the abuser has not received notice of the hearing, the judge may order a new hearing date and extend your temporary restraining order.
You have the right to bring a lawyer to represent you at the hearing. If you need more time to get a lawyer, especially if, for example, you show up to court and the abuser has a lawyer and you do not, you may ask the judge for a “continuance” so you have more time to get a lawyer. An advocate may be available to assist you at your OSC hearing if you can’t get a lawyer.
You can learn more about the court system in our Preparing for Court – By Yourself section. In our At the Hearing section, we include ways that you can show the judge that you were abused.
1 HRS § 586-5.5(a)
2 HRS § 586-5(b)