Last updated 2026-08-21
TL;DR
Hawaii does not issue a guardian ad litem license. A judge appoints you. In child protective cases, HRS 587A-16 requires a GAL for the child. Volunteers go through the Judiciary Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem program. Attorney GALs need an active Hawaii law license. DCCA has no GAL card. Fees, training dates, and rosters sit with each circuit. Confirm those locally before you spend money.
Do you need a license for guardian ad litem in Hawaii?
No. Hawaii does not issue a professional guardian ad litem license. A Family Court judge appoints you. Child protective cases require a GAL under HRS 587A-16. Volunteers go through the Judiciary Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem program. Attorney GALs need an active Hawaii law license. Confirm current local steps with your circuit.
That is the whole legal structure. People search for a guardian ad litem license in Hawaii because other states talk about certification lists, and because the internet sells laminated cards. Hawaii does not run GAL work that way. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs professional and vocational licensing program list does not include guardian ad litem as a licensed occupation. [11] You cannot walk into a DCCA counter and leave with a GAL number.
Your authority is an appointment order. Nothing else. In a Child Protective Act case the statute is blunt. HRS § 587A-16 says, "The court shall appoint a guardian ad litem for a child to serve throughout the pendency of the child protective proceedings under this chapter." [1] The court picks the person. The court can later discharge that person. No board mails you a wall certificate first.
Two honest paths sit under that order. Path one is the Judiciary volunteer program. You apply to the circuit where you will actually show up. You finish whatever screening and training that circuit runs this year. Then a judge can appoint you as a volunteer GAL. Path two is law practice. If you will investigate, write, and appear as an attorney GAL, you already need a license to practice law in Hawaii. HRS § 605-14 makes unlicensed practice of law unlawful. [6] A mainland GAL class does not fix that.
If a website tells you Hawaii sold a statewide GAL license last Tuesday, it is wrong. If someone offers to register you on a national GAL roll that Family Court will "honor," keep your wallet closed. Judges here read their own appointment lists, volunteer rosters, and the Hawaii bar roll. Start with the circuit Family Court or the Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem coordinator, not with a vendor.
Other appointment states look similar on paper and still differ in the clerk's office. If you are comparing moves, read the guardian ad litem license in California path and the guardian ad litem license in Alaska path next. Do not copy their forms into a Honolulu filing.
What does a Hawaii guardian ad litem actually do?
A Hawaii GAL investigates the child's situation, reports to Family Court, and pushes the child's needs and interests. In a 587A case the GAL stays on for the life of the child protective case unless the court says otherwise. The job is not automatically the same as being the child's lawyer.
HRS chapter 587A is the Child Protective Act. It is the statute under which Child Welfare Services cases land in Family Court. [2] The GAL there is a court officer for the child. Counsel for the child is a separate appointment the court may make under HRS § 587A-17. [8] Do not mash those roles together in your head. One person can be asked to do investigation and best-interest work. Another can be asked to do lawyering. Sometimes the same attorney wears a GAL hat. Read the order. The order controls.
Federal law sits behind the state duty. CAPTA conditions certain grants on states having procedures so that in a judicial child-abuse or neglect case, "a guardian ad litem, who has received training appropriate to the role... and who may be an attorney or a court appointed special advocate who has received training appropriate to that role (or both), shall be appointed to represent the child in such proceedings." [7] Hawaii meets that through court appointment, not through a DCCA license.
Day to day, expect home visits, school and medical record work the court authorizes, talks with caregivers, and written reports on the judge's timeline. You go to hearings. You do not freelance a new case theory because a parent asked you to. As a volunteer, you do not give legal advice. That crosses into HRS § 605-14 territory. [6]
Custody cases are a different animal. The court decides custody under the best-interest criteria in HRS § 571-46. [5] Judges sometimes appoint a GAL when the record is a mess or the child needs an independent set of eyes. That appointment is not the automatic 587A duty. If you only want private custody work, say that out loud when you call the circuit. The volunteer program is built around children in child protective cases, not around paying divorce clients.
Who appoints a GAL, and which Hawaii court do you deal with?
Family Court in the judicial circuit where the case is filed appoints the GAL. Hawaii has four circuits. First Circuit is Oahu. Second Circuit is Maui County. Third Circuit is Hawaii Island. Fifth Circuit is Kauai. There is no Fourth Circuit. That numbering is just Hawaii being Hawaii.
Call the circuit that matches the child and the case, not the circuit with the prettiest website. A volunteer who trains on Oahu is not automatically portable to Hilo. An attorney with an office in Kailua-Kona still needs the Third Circuit judge to sign the order. The appointment is local even when the statute is statewide.
The Department of Human Services Child Welfare Services program is the agency in many 587A filings. [9] CWS is not the appointing authority for you. Do not send your GAL application to a social worker and wait for a license. The social worker works the agency case. The judge signs your authority.
Clerks and volunteer coordinators are the humans who will actually answer a practical question. Other islands have their own Family Court contact blocks on the Judiciary site. Ask three things on the first call: who runs VGAL here, whether attorneys use a written appointment list, and where the current application lives. Write down the name you spoke with. Programs move offices. PDFs go stale.
If you are relocating from another state, stop assuming your old roster status means anything. It does not. Start over with the Hawaii circuit. Then, if you still want a side-by-side, look at how to start guardian ad litem in Arizona or how to start guardian ad litem in Colorado. Use those as contrast, not as templates.
How do volunteer GALs get on a Hawaii case?
You contact the Judiciary Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem program in your circuit, complete that circuit's current application and screening, finish the training they are offering, and wait for a judge to appoint you to a child. There is no separate state license after that. Confirm the packet, the background check, and the class calendar with the coordinator. I will not invent hours or start dates.
Hawaii's volunteer GAL work lives inside the Judiciary. People still say CASA in casual conversation because the national volunteer model is the Court Appointed Special Advocate / volunteer GAL model. [10] Use the name your circuit prints on the application. If they say VGAL, say VGAL.
Expect an adult screening process. Courts do not put unscreened strangers in children's cases. That usually means an application, references, an interview, and a criminal history check. Some circuits will also ask about motor vehicle records or child abuse registry checks. Ask what they run. Ask who pays the fingerprint bill. Do not guess.
Training is required in spirit by CAPTA's "training appropriate to the role" language and in practice by the Judiciary program. [7] National CASA/GAL materials describe substantial pre-service training plus in-service hours after you start. [10] Hawaii circuits set the local curriculum. If a Facebook ad promises you can finish "Hawaii GAL certification" in a weekend from your couch, treat it as entertainment. The coordinator's roster is the only volunteer list that matters.
You are unpaid. That is not a glitch. Volunteer GALs donate time. If you need this to replace a salary in year one, this is the wrong path. Attorney appointment work is the paid path, and even that is uneven.
After training, you are eligible. You are not yet on a case. Appointment still belongs to the judge. Caseload, language needs, geography, and conflicts all decide who gets the next child. Nobody can honestly promise you a first case by a certain Friday.
How do attorneys get GAL appointments in Hawaii?
You get admitted to the Hawaii bar, you stay in good standing, and a Family Court judge appoints you. There is no second GAL bar exam. There is no DCCA overlay. Confirm any local roster practice with the circuit. Do not expect a published statewide quota or a guaranteed first appointment date.
HRS § 605-14 is the stop sign for everyone else. It is unlawful to engage in or offer the practice of law unless you are licensed or otherwise authorized. [6] Writing legal conclusions, examining witnesses as counsel, and holding yourself out as the child's lawyer are law practice. Volunteer GALs should not play lawyer. Attorneys who want the GAL appointment still need the Hawaii license, not a certificate from a weekend course.
Bar admission itself is a Supreme Court process. The Judiciary's bar application materials are the current packet. [13] Fees change. I am not going to print a number that will be wrong next fiscal year. Confirm the live fee table with the Board of Bar Examiners before you write a check.
Once you are licensed, appointment culture is personal and local. Some judges keep names they trust. Some circuits ask attorneys to send a letter and a resume. Private custody parties sometimes stipulate to a GAL and present that name. Child protective appointments can happen on short notice because HRS § 587A-16 does not wait for your marketing plan. [1] If you want 587A work, tell the Family Court clerk or the VGAL office you will take court-pay cases. If you only want stipulated private work, say that too. They are different piles.
Out-of-state counsel is a different paper fight (pro hac vice, local associate counsel, the whole mess). A GAL certificate from another state is not a substitute. Compare guardian ad litem license in Arizona if you are trying to keep practices in two places. You will still need Hawaii authority for Hawaii children.
How much does guardian ad litem cost in Hawaii?
It depends which bill you mean. Becoming a volunteer GAL is not a paid state license. The Judiciary program is the gate. Confirm whether you personally pay fingerprinting. Serving as an attorney GAL means you already paid whatever Hawaii bar admission costs right now (confirm with the Board of Bar Examiners). On a case, HRS 571-87 lets the court set reasonable compensation for appointed counsel and GALs. [3] Private custody parties usually pay under the appointment order. There is no single honest statewide hourly rate I can print today without guessing.
Split the money into three buckets or you will confuse yourself.
Bucket one is your entry cost. Volunteers should not be buying a license, because none exists. Training is a court program. Background checks may be covered or may not. Ask. Attorneys pay bar admission costs and then whatever it costs to stay active. Those figures live on Judiciary bar pages and they move. [13] Online "national GAL licenses" are a waste of money for Hawaii appointment. The judge will not stamp them.
If you want a paper checklist while you wait on a coordinator, GALPath sells a $149 one-time GAL Certification Kit at /start. It is a study aid, not a Hawaii credential, and GALPath is an independent publisher, not a law firm and not a service company. You can do this entire path with zero kit. Most people should call the circuit first.
Bucket two is who pays the GAL on a 587A case. HRS § 571-87 is the compensation statute for court-appointed counsel and guardians ad litem in Family Court matters. [3] The court determines reasonable fees. In child protective work the Judiciary often processes that pay. Rate tables and billing rules are administrative and they change. I am not going to invent this year's hourly cap. Read the appointment order. Ask the circuit how invoices get submitted. If someone quotes you a number from a blog dated 2014, throw it out.
Bucket three is private custody. Parents (or the court-allocated share) pay. Retainers vary with the fight. Some cases are a short investigation. Some turn into a second job. Get the fee terms into the order or a written agreement the court actually sees. Do not rely on a handshake in the hallway.
Travel between islands is real money. Neighbor-island hearings, delayed planes, and missed calendars eat time. If you live on Oahu and someone wants you on Kauai every month, price the air or decline. Nobody has a clean public dataset of average GAL invoices in Hawaii that I trust. The closest honest statement is the statute: compensation is court-determined and supposed to be reasonable. [3]
How long does guardian ad litem take in Hawaii?
There is no statewide GAL license processing clock, because there is no GAL license. Volunteer eligibility follows your circuit's training calendar. Attorney eligibility follows bar admission. A case can last well past a year. HRS § 587A-31 requires a permanency hearing within twelve months of the child's date of entry into foster care, and at least every twelve months after that while the child remains in foster care. [4] Confirm training dates and any roster practice locally. Nobody can guarantee appointment timing.
Keep three clocks on one page.
Clock A is becoming eligible. For volunteers, that is application plus screening plus whatever class the coordinator scheduled. Some circuits batch training. Miss the cohort and you wait. I have not seen a public, island-by-island timeline I would bet a job on. Ask for the next start date in writing. For attorneys, Clock A is the bar. That is months, not an afternoon, and it is not a GAL process.
Clock B is the wait for a first case. Eligible is not appointed. Judges appoint when they need someone who is free of conflicts and able to get to the child. Language skills, transportation, and your other caseload all matter. Anyone who sells you a guaranteed first appointment is selling vapor.
Clock C is the case. Child protective work is not a two-week errand. Federal permanency policy and Hawaii statute both push a permanency hearing on a twelve-month cycle from entry into foster care. [4] [14] The case can continue after that hearing. You stay until the court ends the appointment. HRS § 587A-16 ties the GAL to the pendency of the proceedings. [1] Private custody GAL work lasts until the judge discharges you, which might be after one report or after a trial.
If someone asks "how long to get my Hawaii GAL license," the accurate answer is you never get one. You get eligible, then you get appointed, then you serve. Those are different waits.
Child welfare, custody, and probate are not the same paper path
Hawaii GAL work splits into at least three tracks. Child protective cases under HRS chapter 587A require a GAL. [1] Custody cases under HRS § 571-46 may get a GAL if the judge wants one. [5] Adult guardianship and protective proceedings sit in a different HRS chapter 560 calendar. Confirm adult appointment practice with the circuit court. Do not use a 587A volunteer packet as if it covers a probate respondent.
This is where people waste a year. They take volunteer training built for children in foster care, then advertise themselves for high-conflict divorces. Or they are probate lawyers who think the VGAL office will feed them adult cases. Different statutes. Different judges. Different pay.
Child welfare is the mandatory track. DHS Child Welfare Services investigates and provides services. [9] Family Court runs the judicial case. The GAL is for the child. Permanency timelines in HRS § 587A-31 are not optional decoration. [4] If you cannot live with monthly hearings and hard facts about neglect, skip this track.
Custody is discretionary. HRS § 571-46 lists the best-interest factors the court uses when it awards custody and visitation. [5] A GAL here is a tool for the judge, not a statutory automatic. Parties with money sometimes stipulate to an attorney GAL. Parties without money may get no GAL at all. Do not build a business plan that assumes every divorce in Honolulu includes you.
Adult cases are their own culture. Capacity, least-restrictive alternatives, and respondent counsel show up in ways child cases do not. If that is the work you want, talk to the circuit court staff who actually set guardianship calendars. Do not call the children's VGAL line and get annoyed when they send you away.
A simple comparison helps.
| Track | Main statute | Is a GAL automatic? | Who usually pays | Typical appointing court |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child protective | HRS chapter 587A | Yes, under § 587A-16 [1] | Court-determined under § 571-87 [3] | Family Court |
| Custody / visitation | HRS § 571-46 [5] | No, judge decides | Parties, as the order says | Family Court |
| Adult guardianship | HRS chapter 560 (confirm section with the court) | Not the 587A rule | Estate, party, or as ordered | Circuit court calendar |
Print that table. Tape it above your desk. It will save you from the wrong application.
What paper do you actually keep in year one?
You keep the application or bar proof that made you eligible, the background-check trail, the signed appointment order, every notice the court expects you to serve or receive, the reports the judge ordered, and time records if you bill. Confirm current form names with the circuit. I am not going to invent a form number that changed last month.
Start a file the day you apply, even as a volunteer. Circuits will ask for identification, references, and disclosures about conflicts or criminal history. Keep copies. If they email a training certificate, save the PDF in two places. That certificate is still not a license. It is proof you sat through their program.
The appointment order is the document that matters in the case. It should carry your name, the child's case number, your role, any report deadline, and (if you are paid) enough fee language to invoice without a fight. If the order is silent on fees in a private case, you will regret it. Ask the judge to put pay and scope in the order before you burn forty hours.
Reports are court papers. Follow the deadline in the order. Follow any local Family Court practice on service. Do not email a child's psychotherapy notes to a parent because they "just want to see." Child protective records are sensitive. When in doubt, ask the clerk how that judge wants exhibits handled. Guessing is how people get yelled at on the record.
If you bill under HRS § 571-87, keep contemporaneous time. [3] Reconstructing a year of visits from memory is how invoices die. The statute gives the court the job of deciding what is reasonable. Your notes are how you explain the number.
Year-one operations are boring on purpose. Calendar hearings. Track sibling placements. Log who you called. Stay off social media about the case. If you cannot stand boring paper, you will hate this work.
What Hawaii does not require (ignore the national myth)
Hawaii does not require a DCCA guardian ad litem license, a national GAL registry number, or a paid mainland certificate. Family Court appointment is the authority. A Hawaii law license is required only if you are practicing law. Volunteer GALs need the Judiciary program, not a vendor diploma.
The myth is sticky because search results mix fifty states into one stew. Some states really do keep formal GAL certification statutes or long supreme-court rosters. Hawaii's public-facing structure is appointment plus, for volunteers, a Judiciary program. DCCA's professional licensing program list is the easy proof that GAL is not one of those occupations. [11]
You also do not need to incorporate before you volunteer. You do not need a trade name. You do not need professional liability insurance to submit a VGAL application (ask the coordinator whether they later recommend coverage; I will not invent a mandate). You do not need to live in Honolulu if the child is in Hilo. Live where you can actually visit the child.
What you should ignore, if you want my opinion: multi-state "GAL license packs," NFT-style credentials, and any course that says it replaces circuit training. What you should not ignore: the appointment order, confidentiality, and HRS § 605-14 if you are not a lawyer. [6]
If you like reading other states after you finish this page, the how to start guardian ad litem in California guide and the how to start guardian ad litem in Alaska guide show how appointment states still differ in the clerk's details. Useful. Not copy-paste.
Common mistakes that waste time and money in Hawaii
The expensive mistakes are predictable. People call DCCA. People buy fake licenses. People train on the wrong island. People confuse volunteer work with a paid custody practice. People give legal advice without a law license. Confirm the live process with your circuit before you spend a dollar.
Calling DCCA is the tell that you read a national blog. Professional licensing there covers a long list of trades and professions. GAL is not on it. [11] You will get a polite dead end.
Training on Oahu while the children you care about are in Kona is the geographic version of the same error. Four circuits. Four programs in practice. Fly if you must, but do not pretend the First Circuit roster is a statewide union card.
Volunteers who start drafting parenting plans for friends are practicing law. HRS § 605-14 does not have an "I was only helping" clause that I would bet my house on. [6] Stay in the GAL role the order describes.
Attorneys who take a 587A appointment and then vanish between hearings burn the only reputation that matters. There are not that many Family Court judges. They talk. If you cannot make the calendar, do not take the case.
Billing without an order is how you work for free. HRS § 571-87 is not a self-executing ATM. [3] Get the compensation path straight at appointment.
Last one. Do not tell a child you can keep a secret the court will later order you to discuss. You are not their buddy therapist. You are a court-appointed adult. Say that in plain words on day one.
What you should confirm with the court before you start
Confirm four things in writing with the circuit that will actually appoint you: the current VGAL or attorney-roster process, the next training or onboarding dates, how 571-87 invoices work if you expect pay, and whether your conflicts or criminal history will stop the application. Then start. Do not wait for a license that will never print.
Use email so you have a record. Ask the Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem coordinator if you want the unpaid child-welfare path. Ask Family Court staff if you are an attorney hunting appointments. Ask the Board of Bar Examiners only about bar admission, not about GAL cards. [13] Those are different desks.
Bring a short list. Where is today's application. Who runs background checks. What training is required this year. How long recent volunteers waited for a first child (they may not have data; that answer is still useful). How reports get filed. Who you call when a placement blows up on a Sunday.
If the coordinator is slow, that is information. A program that cannot return a call may also struggle to support you after appointment. Neighbor-island programs can be thin on staff. Budget extra time.
You do not need a national myth to do this. You need the statute, the circuit, and the order. HRS § 587A-16 still says the court shall appoint a GAL for the child in child protective proceedings. [1] Everything else is local paper.
GALPath publishes reference kits, including that $149 one-time GAL Certification Kit at /start, and it is still just paper. The court remains the only appointing authority. If a page and a phone call get you onto the real roster, you already have what you came for.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license for guardian ad litem in Hawaii?
No. Hawaii does not issue a standalone guardian ad litem license. A Family Court judge appoints you. Volunteers use the Judiciary Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem program. Attorney GALs need an active Hawaii law license. DCCA does not license this role. Confirm the live application with your circuit before you pay anyone for a credential.
How much does guardian ad litem cost in Hawaii?
Entry cost is not a state license fee. Volunteers confirm fingerprint costs with the circuit. Attorneys pay current Hawaii bar admission fees, which you confirm with the Board of Bar Examiners. On a case, HRS 571-87 lets the court set reasonable appointed-GAL compensation. Private custody parties usually pay under the order. There is no single statewide hourly rate I can defend.
How long does guardian ad litem take in Hawaii?
There is no license processing time. Volunteer eligibility follows your circuit's screening and training calendar. Attorney eligibility follows bar admission. A 587A case often runs through a permanency hearing within twelve months of entry into foster care under HRS 587A-31, and it can last longer. No one can guarantee when a judge will appoint you to a first child.
Can a non-attorney be a guardian ad litem in Hawaii?
Yes, as a volunteer through the Judiciary Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem program, if that circuit accepts you and a judge appoints you. CAPTA also allows a trained court-appointed special advocate in judicial child-abuse or neglect cases. Non-attorneys must not practice law. HRS 605-14 makes unlicensed law practice unlawful. Stay inside the volunteer role the order describes.
Is Hawaii's VGAL program the same as CASA?
It is the same family of volunteer child-advocacy work. National CASA/GAL describes the court-appointed special advocate and volunteer GAL model. Hawaii's public program sits inside the Judiciary and often uses the Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem name. Use the title your circuit prints. The national brand is not a Hawaii license and does not replace circuit training.
Which circuit do I apply in for guardian ad litem work?
Apply in the judicial circuit where you can actually see the child and attend hearings. First Circuit is Oahu, Second is Maui County, Third is Hawaii Island, and Fifth is Kauai. Appointment does not automatically travel between islands. If you split time between islands, ask both coordinators how they handle that. Do not assume an Oahu class covers Hilo cases.
Do I need a Hawaii bar license to be a volunteer GAL?
No. Volunteer GALs are not required to be lawyers. You do need whatever screening and training your circuit VGAL program requires, plus a court appointment. You do need a Hawaii law license if you will practice law or hold yourself out as counsel. Mixing those roles is how volunteers get into unauthorized-practice trouble under HRS 605-14.
Who pays the GAL in a Hawaii child welfare case?
In Child Protective Act cases the court appoints the GAL under HRS 587A-16, and HRS 571-87 lets the court determine reasonable compensation for appointed GALs. The Judiciary often processes that pay. Rate tables and invoice rules change. Read the appointment order and ask the circuit how billing works this year. Do not rely on an old blog rate.
Who pays the GAL in a Hawaii divorce or custody case?
Usually the parties, in the shares the judge orders. Custody GAL appointments are not automatic under HRS 571-46. If the court appoints a GAL, get fee terms into the order before you start a long investigation. Court-pay under HRS 571-87 is a different path and may not apply to a private fight. Confirm with the judge at appointment.
Can I use a guardian ad litem certificate from another state in Hawaii?
Not as authority. Hawaii Family Court appoints its own GALs. A mainland certificate does not replace VGAL training or a Hawaii law license. Out-of-state lawyers still need Hawaii practice authority if they will act as counsel. Tell the coordinator what you already completed. They may or may not count hours. Do not advertise yourself as Hawaii-licensed based on that paper.
Does DCCA license guardians ad litem in Hawaii?
No. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs professional and vocational licensing programs list does not include guardian ad litem. Attorneys are admitted by the Hawaii Supreme Court, not by DCCA. Volunteer GALs are screened and trained by the Judiciary. If a form asks for your DCCA GAL number, someone reused a mainland template. Leave it blank and call the court.
What statute requires a GAL for a child in Hawaii foster-care proceedings?
HRS § 587A-16 requires the court to appoint a guardian ad litem for a child throughout child protective proceedings under the Child Protective Act. Federal CAPTA grant conditions also call for a trained GAL or court-appointed special advocate in judicial child-abuse or neglect cases. Permanency hearings then run on the twelve-month cycle in HRS § 587A-31.
Are Hawaii GAL files confidential?
Treat child protective information as confidential court and agency material, not as content for friends or social media. Share what the appointment order and the judge require you to share, on the service list the court uses. If a parent demands raw therapy records, do not freelance a release. Ask the clerk or the judge. Volunteers who gossip about cases do not stay on rosters.
How do I find the Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem coordinator in Hawaii?
Start with the Hawaii State Judiciary Family Court contacts for your circuit and ask specifically for the Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem program. Neighbor islands have their own Family Court numbers. DHS Child Welfare Services is the agency on many cases, not the volunteer recruiter. Get the coordinator's email so dates are in writing.
Sources
- Hawaii Revised Statutes § 587A-16 (Guardian ad litem): The court shall appoint a GAL for a child throughout child protective proceedings under chapter 587A.
- Hawaii Revised Statutes § 587A-4 (Definitions): Chapter 587A defines guardian ad litem and other Child Protective Act terms used in Family Court child welfare cases.
- Hawaii Revised Statutes § 571-87 (Appointment and compensation): Family Court may appoint counsel and a GAL and determines reasonable compensation for appointed GALs.
- Hawaii Revised Statutes § 587A-31 (Permanency hearing): A permanency hearing shall be conducted within twelve months of the child's date of entry into foster care and at least every twelve months thereafter while the child remains in foster care.
- Hawaii Revised Statutes § 571-46 (Custody and visitation criteria): Hawaii custody and visitation awards are decided under statutory best-interest criteria in Family Court.
- Hawaii Revised Statutes § 605-14 (Unauthorized practice of law): It is unlawful to engage in or offer the practice of law unless licensed or otherwise authorized.
- 42 U.S.C. § 5106a (CAPTA state grant provisions): CAPTA requires state procedures for appointment of a trained GAL or CASA in judicial child-abuse or neglect cases.
- Hawaii Revised Statutes § 587A-17 (Counsel for the child): The court may appoint counsel for the child in addition to a guardian ad litem in child protective cases.
- Hawaii Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Services: DHS Child Welfare Services is the state agency that investigates and provides services in many Hawaii child welfare cases that reach Family Court.
- National CASA/GAL Association for Children: The national volunteer child-advocacy model is the court-appointed special advocate / volunteer GAL model with pre-service and in-service training.
- Hawaii DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing programs: DCCA's professional and vocational licensing program list does not include guardian ad litem as a licensed occupation.
- Hawaii State Judiciary, bar application: Admission to practice law in Hawaii is a Judiciary / Board of Bar Examiners process, which is the credential attorney GALs actually need.
- 42 U.S.C. § 675 (Social Security Act case-review definitions): Federal foster-care case-review rules include a permanency hearing no later than 12 months after the child is considered to have entered foster care.