Court rule · Hawaii · Family procedure · Adoption
Hawaiʻi updates terminology in adoption pleading and affidavit rules
The order revises wording in Rules 103 and 118, including name information for married people and civil-union partners.
Published November 3, 2026 · Reviewed by David Martino
The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court amended Family Court Rules 103 and 118 to revise terminology in adoption pleadings and affidavits. The order was dated July 9, 2025 and took effect January 1, 2026.
Rule 103(c)(1) concerns names of petitioners in adoption pleadings. The amendment replaces a reference to a “married woman” with wording addressing a person who is legally married or has entered a civil union. It calls for the person’s given and middle names, surname before the marriage or civil union, and, if assumed, the partner’s surname. It also changes the wording concerning a widow or divorcee who retains a former spouse’s or partner’s surname.
The order continues to require proof of full legal names unless a judge excuses it for good cause. Its other printed provisions include the use of full names in pleadings and rules concerning identification of the individual to be adopted. Those surrounding provisions provide context; the order does not mark all of them as new.
Rule 118 addresses affidavits or declarations in specified adoption placements. The amendments replace several pronouns with explicit references to the natural mother or natural father. For example, the revised text refers to the mother’s indicated desire concerning placement and to the natural father when describing payment of specified birth-related expenses. The surrounding rule describes the circumstances and information required for the relevant declarations.
The July 2025 adoption date and January 2026 effective date are distinct. The changes concern the wording and information in the specified procedural rules; the order does not by itself decide an adoption petition or replace the need to apply other governing law.