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HRS §587A-17

Court-appointed attorneys in child protection cases

This section lets the court appoint and pay for a lawyer for a poor parent or other party when it helps the child. The court can order that person to pay back the lawyer's fees if they can afford it. It also says who gives instructions to a lawyer for an incapacitated adult.

guardiansparents

The statute, as written — Court-appointed attorneys

(a) The court may appoint an attorney to represent a legal parent who is indigent based on court-established guidelines. The court may also appoint an attorney to represent another indigent party based on court-established guidelines, if it is deemed to be in the child's best interest. Attorneys who are appointed by the court to represent indigent legal parents and other indigent qualifying parties may be paid by the court, unless the legal parent or party for whom counsel is appointed has an independent estate sufficient to pay such fees and costs. The court may order the appropriate legal parent or party to pay or reimburse the fees and costs of an attorney appointed for the child or incapacitated adult. (b) Unless otherwise ordered by the court, the attorney for an incapacitated adult shall take instructions from the incapacitated adult's guardian ad litem.
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.