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Finding an attorney is sometimes a daunting task. Finding an affordable attorney seems impossible. Through a variety of services, the HSBA provides the Public with options and services to help them find affordable legal representation.
The Court Self-Help Centers are a collaborative effort of the Judiciary, the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission, the Hawaii State Bar Association, the Kauai County Bar Association, the Maui County Bar Association, the Hawaii County Bar Association, West Hawaii Bar Association, and the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii to increase access to justice for individuals representing themselves.
Volunteer attorneys provide legal help to the community through the statewide Court Self-Help Centers. Attorneys offer limited legal help by telephone and in-person, depending on the location, in areas such as landlord-tenant, family, and other district court matters. Calls will be answered by a Legal Aid staff member or Legal Aid volunteer who will conduct a brief intake and connect you with the volunteer attorney.
For more information about the centers, location, and hours of operation, please visit https://www.courts.state.hi.us/general_information/access_to_justice_rooms_self_help_centers
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is the only national organization dedicated to defending and expanding the civil liberties of all people. The ACLU of Hawaii has a variety of pro bono opportunities for individuals seeking to defend civil liberties an the fundamental principles of our Constitution, including opportunities for cooperating attorneys and individuals seeking to volunteer on various legislation and litigation projects.
Phone:(808) 522-5900
Website:www.acluhawaii.org
There are five Community mediation centers under contract to the State of Hawaii to provide volunteer mediators and affordable mediation services to the public. Contact the center nearest you for more information:
| Oʻahu | The Mediation Center of the Pacific | 245 N. Kukui Street, Suite 206Honolulu, Hawaii 96817 | Phone: (808) 521-6767Fax: (808) 538-1454 | mediatehawaii.org |
| Kauaʻi | Kauai Economic Opportunity, Inc. – Mediation Program | 2804 Wehe RoadLihue, Hawaii 96766 | Phone: (808) 245-4077Fax: (808) 245-7476 | keoinc.org |
| Maui | Maui Mediation Services – J. Walter Cameron Center | 95 Mahalani Street, Suite 25Wailuku, Hawaii 96793 | Phone: (808) 244-5744Fax: (808) 249-0905 | mauimediation.org |
| Hawaiʻi (East) | Kuikahi Mediation Center | 101 Aupuni Street, Suite PH 1014 B-2Hilo, Hawaii 96720 | Phone: (808) 935-7844Fax: (808) 961-9727 | hawaiimediation.org |
| Hawaiʻi (West) | West Hawaii Mediation Center | P.O. Box 7020Kamuela, Hawaii 96743 | Phone: (808) 885-5525Fax: (808) 887-0525 | whmediation.org |
The Domestic Violence Action Center and Legal Hotline is committed to ending domestic violence and other forms of abuse through leadership, prevention, legal service, individual and systemic advocacy and social change work.
Phone: (808) 531-3771
Website: www.stoptheviolence.org
The mission of the Hawaii Disability Rights Center is to protect and promote the human, civil, and legal rights of individuals with disabilities through the provision of information and advocacy.
Phone:(808) 949-2922 and 1 (800) 882-1057
Website:www.hawaiidisabilityrights.org
Hawai`i Friends of Restorative Justice (HFRJ) is an educational entity that assists individuals and organizations live cooperatively & peacefully. HFRJ designs, provides, studies, and disseminates the results of restorative and solution-focused innovations to help heal from harm caused by wrongdoing and injustice. HFRJ’s evidence-based work has been replicated in other states and countries. Since 2020 it has provided a family law clinic at the state women’s prison
Phone: (808) 218-3712
The Hawai‘i Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice advocates on behalf of low-income and marginalized people in Hawai‘i through the use of class-action litigation, advocacy with the legislature and other government entities, and research and report writing. Hawai‘i Appleseed typically does not provide individual representation or services, and instead focuses on situations that affect hundreds or thousands of people, for example, where the government is trying to terminate public benefits for a particular ethnic group, or where conditions at a housing project are unsafe and unhealthy for residents.
Phone:(808) 578-7605
This tool directs people with legal problems in Hawaii to helpful legal resources and referrals. Answer a few questions about yourself and your problem to help us guide you to the best help for your situation. We will not ask for your name or any information that will identify who you are. Check out the FAQ page for tips to help you get started. If you are accessing the portal on behalf of someone else, submit responses that are specific to that person's situation. Currently, this portal is only available in English. Please contact the referral organization if you need an interpreter.
Website:www.lawhelp.org/hi/portal
Hawaii Online Pro Bono (HOP) is an online service for low to moderate income Hawaii residents. HOP is a web based legal clinic that allows users to get their civil legal questions answered 24/7 by Hawaii licensed volunteer attorneys. Help answer Hawaii residents questions in: family law, estate planning, bankruptcy, landlord-tenant, small claims, veteran benefits and immigration.
Website: https://hawaii.freelegalanswers.org/
Free limited legal assistance on family court civil issues (i.e. divorce, paternity, custody, visitation, child support, adoptions, guardianships of a minor) is available to unrepresented/pro se parties at the Kapolei Access to Justice Room (KAJR) at the Ronald T. Y. Moon Courthouse in Kapolei and the Supreme Court Law Library satellite KAJR location in Honolulu. The service is provided by a partnership between the Hawaii State Judiciary and volunteer attorneys with the Hawaii State Bar Association’s Family Law Section. Since KAJR opened in September 2012, more than 2100 clients have been served. Due to the pandemic, KAJR is now being held remotely through videoconferencing and is open on the first and third Thursdays of each month from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. A person interested in receiving services can sign up by calling (808) 954-8290.
Legal Aid Society of Hawaii is dedicated to assisting the low-to-moderate income community. Their mission is to achieve fairness and justice for Hawaii's people through quality representation, advocacy, community partnerships, education and outreach.
Phone:(808) 536-4302
Website:www.legalaidhawaii.org
FREE Legal Information Hotline: Call (808) 537-1868 on Wednesdays from 6-7 p.m. Volunteer attorneys will be standing by to take your calls.
A project of the Young Lawyers Division #yldhawaii
Maui Mediation Services is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1982. MMS provides alternative dispute resolution, facilitation and training to Maui, Molokai and Lanai. Trained volunteer mediators from MMS work to promote better understanding and communication by offering high quality mediation services to those in conflict. Mediation is a voluntary process that offers an effective and inexpensive way to resolve a dispute quickly. The mediators are neutral professionals from the community that have completed training in conflict resolution and communication skills. They assist participants in conflict with listening, understanding and talking to each other more effectively. During the mediation, they find common ground between parties and attempt to help the parties come to a win-win solution.
Website: https://www.mauimediation.org/
The Mediation Center of the Pacific (MCP) provides mediation and dispute resolution services that are affordable and accessible for all. MCP is able to offer these services for a nominal or no fee by using mediators who provide the services pro bono. MCP’s mediation and dispute resolution services address a broad variety of issues from divorce, paternity, landlord tenant, civil rights, condominium, special education, elder, family and more. A preponderance of the cases mediated at MCP’s office are domestic (divorce, post- divorce and custody) that are ordered or referred from Family Court.
Website: https://www.mediatehawaii.org/
The Medical-Legal Partnership for Children in Hawaiʻi (MLPC Hawaiʻi) seeks to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable children and families in Hawai‘i through a unique partnership between the Law School, pediatricians of the Community Pediatrics Division of the John A. Burns School of Medicine, and the Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services, a federally qualified community health center. MLPC Hawaiʻi provides direct access to legal services for children and families in a community health clinic setting in order to address the social/legal problems that negatively impact children’s health.
Phone:(808) 371-2698
Client line:(808) 688-3313
Website:www.MLPCHawaii.org
The mission of the NHLC is to strengthen and enhance the lives of Native Hawaiians and Native Hawaiian communities through the protection and recovery of ancestral and trust lands, natural resources, and the preservation of customs and practices vital to the perpetuation of Hawaii's indigenous people.
Phone:(808) 521-2302
Website:www.nhlchi.org
Volunteer attorneys and AmeriCorps Advocates provide limited legal information to help self-represented litigants navigate court forms and processes.
Website: http://www.courts.state.hi.us/general_information/access_to_justice_rooms_self_help_centers
UHELP has an attorney/professor, a program administrator/legal assistant and several student law clerks. UHELP operates throughout the calendar year and provides basic legal assistance, advice and information. UHELP is not permitted to assist with business or criminal law matters or with personal injury or other fee-generating cases. You may qualify for services if you are 60 years or older and are socially or economically needy or if you are a caregiver of an older person and need legal assistance on behalf of the older person. (Each case is evaluated according to its own merits and in accordance with staff capabilities)
Phone:(808) 956-6544
Website:http://www.hawaii.edu/uhelp/
Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii matches pro bono lawyers with individuals and families in need of legal assistance. The organization’s pool of volunteer attorneys handle non-criminal matters such as family law, guardianship, wills and probate, collections, small claims, veteran benefits, and bankruptcy. Services include legal advice, telephone consultations, document drafting, self help workshops and full representation.
Phone: Honolulu (808) 528-7046; Maui (808) 727-8210; Hawaii Island (808) 313-8210; Kauai (808) 698-8210
Website: www.vlsh.org
Every lawyer who is licensed to practice law in Hawaii will be listed in our directory.
NOTICE: Every lawyer who is licensed to practice law in Hawaii will be listed in our directory. Remember, just because someone uses “Esq.” in his or her letterhead doesn’t necessarily mean that person is licensed to practice. Each licensed attorney will appear on the Hawaii State Bar Association website and can be found by searching their first and last name. The profile will include basic contact information and indicate whether the attorney can actively practice law in Hawaii.