2026 HSBA Bar Convention - Family Law Seminar

Registration Closed, thank you!

This is the registration for the IN-PERSON ONLY event.

NOTE: FOR PRICING LISTED BELOW, ANY SUBSIDIES THAT YOU QUALIFY FOR, YOUR DISCOUNTED PRICE WILL BE REFLECTED ON THE NEXT PAGE AFTER YOU ADD THE SEMINAR TO YOUR CART. IF THE NEXT PAGE PRICE IS NOT CORRECT, PLEASE CONTACT THE CLE DEPARTMENT

Please visit our 2026 Bar Convention Website to browse all seminars during our 2026 HSBA Bar Convention Week.

Date and Time: Friday, October 16, 2026, 9:00am-4:30pm

Credit: This seminar qualifies for 6 CLE Credits.

Location:

In-Person Only:

Ala Moana Hotel

Hibiscus Ballroom

410 Atkinson Drive

Honolulu, Hawaii 96814

Food/Beverage: Continental breakfast, buffet lunch, afternoon snack, and all-day beverage service will be served.

Pricing: 

Early Bird Rates (until September 30) 

Kauai Bar Association (KBA) Members: $175 (note: there is a $100 subsidy for KBA registrants to be used for ONLY ONE Bar Convention seminar) 

Hawaii County Bar Association (HCBA) Members: $225 (note: there is a $50 subsidy for HCBA registrants to be used for ONLY ONE Bar Convention seminar) 

All Other HSBA Members: $275 

Non-HSBA Members: $345* 

(Cost includes 6 CLE credits, continental breakfast, buffet lunch, afternoon snack, and all-day beverage service)

Regular Rates (October 1 - October 14, 12pm) 

Kauai Bar Association (KBA) Members: $225 (note: there is a $100 subsidy for KBA registrants to be used for ONLY ONE Bar Convention seminar) 

Hawaii County Bar Association (HCBA) Members: $275 (note: there is a $50 subsidy for HCBA registrants to be used for ONLY ONE Bar Convention seminar) 

All Other HSBA Members: $325 

Non-HSBA Members: $395* 

(Cost includes 6 CLE credits, continental breakfast, buffet lunch, afternoon snack, and all-day beverage service)

Notes:

REGISTRATION CLOSED, THANK YOU!

Cancellation/Refunds: Cancellation requests must be received by September 25, 2026, for a full refund. There will be no refunds if you miss the seminar.

Parking: TBA

2026 FAMILY LAW SEMINAR, 6 CLE (changed and updated)

Cryptocurrency and Divorce

Speaker:

Dorothy Haraminac, Founding Partner, YBR Consulting Services, LLC

Dorothy Haraminac is a financial forensic analyst; she traces and values assets, builds complex damage models for commercial disputes, and provides other financial forensic services such as blockchain forensics, consulting, and expert witness testimony. She performs fraud and risk assessments and volunteers her time to train others on blockchain technology, cybersecurity, and cryptocurrency tracing.

WORK EXPERIENCE

2018-Now Founding Partner, YBR Consulting Services, LLC

2020-Now Chief Operations Officer/Advisor, Kiribex, Inc

2021-2024 Cyber Engineering Professor, Adjunct Faculty, Houston Christian University

2018-2023 Director of Forensics, Adeona COO, GreenVets, LLC

2018 Chief Operations Officer, Snap Diligence

2017-2018 Director of Forensics, McCann Investigations

2015-2017 Litigation Associate, Hill Schwartz Spilker Keller

PUBLICATIONS

Cryptocurrency, an Expert’s View: Interview with Forensic Crypto Expert, D. Haraminac &

Richard D. West, Family Advocate, Spring 2024, American Bar Association

Systems and Methods for Transacting of Units Derived from Non-Commodifiable Work

Trust & Estate Planning and Divorce

Panelists:

Shauna Kahiapo, Aloha Legacy Law Group, LLLC

Shauna Kahiapo is a graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu and the William S. Richardson School of Law, where she earned certificates in Native Hawaiian Law and Environmental Law. She brings 22 years of experience in real estate and title to her solo law firm where she has been practicing for ten years. 

Ms. Kahiapo is committed to community service; she has volunteered with the Domestic Violence Action Center and currently serves as President of the Prince Kūhiō Hawaiian Civic Club and Chair of the Native Rights Committee of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs. She lives in Nuʻuanu with her husband, Jason, who is from Walpole Island First Nation in Canada, and their four children. Together, they embrace an adventurous life as a blended family—the modern Indigenous Brady Bunch. When she is not working or serving her community, she enjoys spending her free time riding her quarter horse, Tio, in the beautiful hills of Maunawili.

Dr. Gail "Kaila" Kawakami, Est8Planning Counsel LLLC

Dr. Gail "Kaila" Kawakami is from Hilo, Hawaii. She received her Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks; M.A. from Alaska Pacific University; and B.A. from the University of British Columbia. Gail is a Lewis & Clark Law School graduate, where she was selected by faculty and staff to join the prestigious Cornelius Honor Society. Gail is licensed to practice law in Oregon, Alaska and Hawaii. In Alaska, Dr. Kawakami externed with the Superior Court and practiced civil and criminal law. In Hawaii, she was a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii in Waianae and was the Veterans Benefits Coordinator for Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii.  

Dr. Kawakami's life experiences include living in the rugged Alaska Brooks Range, riding the whitewater rapids of the Snake River in Hells Canyon, and hunting horseback on the slopes of Mauna Kea. During her free time, she enjoys teaching new tricks to Rudy, our firm’s Top Dog of Puplick Relations.

Scott Makuakane, Est8Planning Counsel LLLC

Scott Makuakane is a lawyer whose practice emphasizes estate planning and trust law. He is a graduate of Ka`u High School (1975), Duke University (cum laude 1979), and the University of Hawaii School of Law (1983), where he served as Articles Editor of the University of Hawaii Law Review. Mr. Makuakane has practiced estate planning law since 1983 and has held the prestigious AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell since 1993.  

Mr. Makuakane is the principal of Est8Planning Counsel LLLC. He has chaired the Elder Law and the Probate & Estate Planning Sections of the Hawaii State Bar Association, has served as Secretary of the Hawaii State Bar Association, President of the Financial Planning Association of Hawaii, President of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation of the Rotary Club of Honolulu, and President of the Christian Legal Society of Hawaii. He currently serves on the board of the Senior Counsel Division of the Hawaii State Bar Association.  

Mr. Makuakane has written various books and manuals for lawyers and general audiences, including his latest effort, Est8Planning for Geniuses.

Procedures and Calendaring Timelines in the Various Circuits

Panelists:

Judge Gregory H. Meyers, District Family Court Judge of the Fifth Circuit Court

Gregory H. Meyers was appointed as District (Family) Court Judge of the Fifth Circuit Court State of Hawaii in August 2022 with the primary responsibility of handling civil and criminal Family Court matters, including cases involving juveniles, truancy, domestic abuse, TROs, paternity, custody, child support, involuntary hospitalizations, and other matters. Judge Meyers believes Family Court should be in the business of improving the lives of families on Kauai, and he is constantly working with local community organizations and government entities to establish resources for youth and adults on Kauai who appear in his courtroom.

Prior to being appointed to the bench, Judge Meyers spent 20+ years as an attorney in Hawaii — working both at the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii as an advocate for low-income residents, and in private practice helping the people of Kauai with their various legal needs. During his career, Judge Meyers spent many years volunteering on the boards of local organizations dedicated to families and children on Kauai. In his free time, he enjoys coaching community basketball.

Judge Meyers graduated from the University of Michigan Business School with a Bachelors of Business Administration (1997) and received his Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School (2001).

Andrew T. Park, District Family Court Judge

Andrew T. Park has been appointed to the District Court replacing retired Judge Clarence Pacarro. Judge Park has been serving as a per diem judge in the District Family Court since 2017, and is an attorney-principal in the Law Office of Andrew T. Park, LLLC.

Judge Park was previously employed by Park & Kim, LLLC and served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the City and County of Honolulu. He sits on the board of Mental Health America of Hawaii and serves as its secretary.

Judge Park is a graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 2008. Upon confirmation by the Senate, it would be the Chief Justice’s intent to assign Park to the District Family Court.

Maria F. Penn, District Family Court of the First Circuit (island of Oʻahu)

Maria F. Penn serves in the District Family Court of the First Circuit (island of Oʻahu). Judge Penn has served as a Per Diem District Family Judge since May 2022. She is currently a solo practitioner representing clients in various civil litigation matters, including medical malpractice, personal injury, civil rights violations/police brutality, contract disputes, and more.

Prior to serving as a Per Diem District Family Judge, Judge Penn practiced family law, representing clients in divorces and paternity matters, and also served as volunteer settlement master in Family Court. She is a graduate of the William S. Richardson School of Law and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 2003.

Joanna E. Sokolow, District Family Court of the Third Circuit

Joanna E. Sokolow has been appointed to the District Family Court of the Third Circuit, replacing Judge Wendy DeWeese, who was appointed to the circuit court bench. She is currently employed with Sokolow & Gibson, LLP, and serves as a Per Diem Judge in the District Family Court of the Third Circuit. Prior to that she was employed by the Children’s Law Project from 2019 to 2021, the Office of the Public Defender from 2015 to 2019, and Legal Aid Society of Hawaii from 2006 to 2015. She is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and was admitted to the Hawaii State Bar in 2006.

Throughout her career, Judge Sokolow has been active in numerous legal and community organizations, including the Access to Justice Commission, Hawaii State Bar Association, and West Hawaii Bar Association, among others.

Sonya H. Toma, Judge of the District Family Court of the Second Circuit (Maui County)

Sonya H. Toma was sworn in as a Judge of the District Family Court of the Second Circuit (Maui County) on May 23, 2025.

Prior to her appointment, Judge Toma served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney with the Maui County Department of the Prosecuting Attorney. Her diverse legal background also includes roles with the Maui County Department of Corporation Counsel, the Department of the Attorney General’s Family Law Division on Maui, the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, the State Office of the Public Defender, and private practice.

Judge Toma is a graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi William S. Richardson School of Law and was admitted to the bar in 2007.

Note: Schedule subject to change. Program adjustments may be made.

Course Materials: In an effort to be green, the Bar Convention Course Materials will be emailed to you before the event. Attendees may print the materials prior to attending or view them on their tablet, phone or laptop.

Register:

HSBA Members: "Log In" (do not create a new account) to register online with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover.

HSBA members paying by check or prefer to use the form: Please download paper registration and submit to the HSBA to register. Form of payment must be received with registration to process.

*Non-HSBA members: Please download paper registration. 

**Law Students: You must have an HSBA student card; or if not, you may obtain one by going to HSBA Bar Card | HSBA Please download paper registration and submit to the HSBA to register.   

ADA Accommodation: If you would like to request an accommodation, please contact us before purchasing the program and by October 5, 2026, at cle@hsba.org or call (808) 537-1868 and ask for the HSBA CLE Department.    

Notice of Videotaping: With the permission of guest speakers, the HSBA selectively webcasts and videotapes CLE seminars for attorneys not physically present in the seminar room. As an in-person attendee your voice and likeness may be included in the webcast or videotape. By attending the seminar, you are authorizing the HSBA to include name, voice and likeness to the extent included in the webcast or video recording. Video recordings may be made available or purchase and viewing on the HSBA website.

Questions? Please contact HSBA CLE Department at (808) 537-1868 or CLE@hsba.org.