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HRS §580-24

Support for Someone Tricked Into an Illegal Marriage

If you were tricked into marrying someone who was already married, you can ask the family court for money to support yourself and your family from that person's property. The court can also make them pay for your witnesses and other trial costs.

spouses

The statute, as written — Allowance for spouse and family

Every person who is deceived into contracting an illegal marriage with a person having another spouse living, under the belief that the person was unmarried, may be entitled to a just allowance for the support of the deceived spouse and family out of the property of the deceiving spouse, which the deceived spouse may obtain at any time after action commenced upon application to the family court having jurisdiction. In addition to the allowance, the court may also compel the defendant to advance reasonable amounts for the compensation of witnesses and other reasonable expenses of trial to be incurred by the plaintiff. [CC 1859, §1316; am L 1903, c 22, §3; am L 1919, c 43, §1; RL 1925, §2958; RL 1935, §4453; RL 1945, §12204; RL 1955, §324-4; am L 1966, c 22, §6; HRS §580-24; am L 1973, c 211, §5(k); am L 1974, c 65, pt of §2; am L 2023, c 160, §10]
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.