Step 4: do it yourself or get an attorney?
DIY divorce papers (Slower & Least Costly)
You can handle your divorce on your own without a lawyer in Hawaii. For this, you must first complete all the necessary documents, which you can get online. The forms vary from one island to another, so, you can begin by going to the State Judiciary website of Hawaii and choose the island where you live or if you have been served, you must choose the island where the divorce papers were filed.
You will be taken to the correct court, where you can get the forms required. Although the websites and the forms are official, you should check with the local court to ensure that the forms will be accepted by the judge. Respond to all the questions completely and fill the forms either on the computer or write it out neatly.
Usually, there are 2 types of packets available, for a divorce with children and without children. There are also separate packets for the defendant and the plaintiff and you must choose a packet according to your situation. The packets also include detailed instructions that help you through the entire process.
You can avoid going to court, but only if you do everything correctly. If you make any mistakes in the divorce forms, the judge may have concerns or questions about them and if this occurs, your spouse and you must appear in court and provide explanations, which can delay your divorce.
Online Divorce Services (Fastest & Inexpensive)
Filling up the documents to file for divorce can be confusing and time consuming and so if you need assistance in completing the documents, but don’t want to hire an attorney, you can use the services of an online divorce service.
You can get started with an online provider like 3stepdivorce.com and you can have your paperwork done in a day for $299.
They give you step-by-step instructions and walk you through the process of filling your forms and for their service, the online service will charge you a fee. Once your papers are completed, you can simply take a print out and file them in the appropriate courthouse with the filing fee.
Attorney Divorce Trial (Longer & Expensive)
If your spouse and you are not able to come to an agreement on the various issues of the divorce, then your case will go to trial where it will be heard by a judge in court. In this situation, it is best to always get a lawyer to ensure that you get whats owed to you and can make the process easier.
The judge will then make the decisions regarding the issues that you do not have an agreement on with your spouse such as division of property, child custody, support and visitation, spousal support, etc.