Tools for Hawaii Island Guardians ad Litem, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the Hawaii Island families you work with, whether you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

Families on Hawaii Island who end up in the Family Court of the Third Circuit rarely arrive at a mediation, a therapy session, or a home visit with their records in order. FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform built for those parents. Below is what it does for them, what it means for you as a guardian ad litem, therapist, or mediator, and what to know about family court on Hawaii Island.

Area covered: Hawaii County.

Court for custody cases: Family Court of the Third Circuit (Hilo and Kona).

Appointed for the child: Guardian ad litem.

Custody mediation: Often ordered by the judge.

State family law: Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 580 - Annulment, Divorce, and Separation.

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For guardians ad litem on Hawaii Island

In Hawaii, the court can appoint a guardian ad litem in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

On FamilyCourtHelp.com you see what a parent chooses to share. A parent can invite you into the co-parent conversation with a single-use link, which you accept with your own free account; from there you can read the thread, post in it, and review the shared calendar's requests and approvals. A parent can also share the parenting plan with you to read and comment on.

For therapists and counselors on Hawaii Island

Court-involved and reunification therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators on Hawaii Island do not get an account view here, and that is deliberate: each parent keeps their own record and chooses what to bring you. The free messenger keeps the week's facts in one time-stamped thread, and its Tone Meter flags a heated message and suggests a calmer one before it is sent.

For mediators and parenting coordinators on Hawaii Island

In Hawaii, custody mediation is often ordered by the judge. The details are in the FAQ below.

Sessions on Hawaii Island start further along when the draft is already on the table. Parents can share their parenting plan with you to read and comment on, and invite you into their conversation with a single-use link. Agreements then live in one time-stamped thread, and every schedule change is a request on the shared calendar that the other parent approves or declines.

Family court programs on Hawaii Island

Custody cases on Hawaii Island are heard in the Family Court of the Third Circuit. The court-connected programs below were checked against official sources.

Children in Transition (Hilo) and Children First (Kona): The Third Circuit Family Court on Hawaii Island has two parent education programs for families in divorce and custody cases: Children in Transition in Hilo and Children First in Kona. Parents learn how ongoing conflict affects their children and are encouraged to settle custody disagreements through mediation instead of a trial.

Ku'ikahi Mediation Center and West Hawai'i Mediation Center: The Third Circuit Family Court's proposed parenting plan form names Hawaii Island's two community mediation centers, one in Hilo and one serving West Hawaii, as the place parents can agree to mediate unresolved issues or future disagreements about their children.

If you searched for a guardian ad litem, a family therapist, or a custody mediator on Hawaii Island, the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents on Hawaii Island: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

Hawaii: Hale Kaulike Access to Justice Room, (808) 909-2845. Volunteer attorneys give free legal information to self-represented people on Hawaii Island; a second office is in Kona.

Hawaii legal aid: Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, (800) 499-4302.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard on Hawaii Island?

Family Court cases for Hawaii Island are handled by the Third Circuit. It sits at Hale Kaulike in Hilo and at the Keahuolu Courthouse in Kailua-Kona, and each location has a Family Court office.

Where can parents on Hawaii Island get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer: Hale Kaulike Access to Justice Room. Free legal aid: Legal Aid Society of Hawaii. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation on Hawaii Island?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session.

What does a guardian ad litem do in a Hawaii Island custody case?

A Hawaii family court may appoint a guardian ad litem to represent the child's interests in a custody case. The court can also direct a child custody evaluator to investigate and write a report that the parents and their lawyers see before the hearing. You may also see "GAL" and "child custody evaluator". The rule is in Haw. Rev. Stat. 571-46. This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in Hawaii?

Hawaii's Judiciary says the Family Court supports and encourages mediation in divorce cases and routinely orders it when parents disagree on an issue. When family violence is alleged, the law limits this: a parent protected by a protective order cannot be required to mediate against their wishes.