HRS §560:2-516
Duty to deliver a will after death
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗After a person dies, anyone holding their will must promptly give it to someone who can start probate, or to the court. If you knowingly keep the will, you can be sued for damages and possibly punished for contempt if you ignore a court order.
beneficiariesdevelopersheirspersonal representatives
The statute, as written — Duty of custodian of will; liability
A copy, taken August 20, 2026. The version published by the Legislature is the one that governs, and it may have changed since. Check it before relying on anything here.
After the death of a testator and on request of an interested person, a person having custody of a will of the testator shall either deliver it with reasonable promptness to a person able to secure its probate or if none is known, deposit it with an appropriate court. A person who knowingly and wilfully fails to so deliver or deposit a will is liable to any person aggrieved for any damages that may be sustained by the failure, and the court may award treble damages. A person who wilfully refuses to deliver a will after being ordered by the court in a proceeding brought for the purpose of compelling delivery is subject to penalty for contempt of court. Proceedings under this section shall be brought in the probate proceeding relating to the will.
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.