Divorce is stressful enough without also having to figure out court procedure from scratch. For self-represented (pro se) divorce litigants on Hawaiʻi Island, the Third Circuit Family Court and the state Judiciary offer free resources. Here’s what’s available if you’re filing on the Big Island without an attorney.
Third Circuit Divorce Forms and the Uncontested Divorce Packet
The Family Court of the Third Judicial Circuit maintains its own divorce forms and a packet of instructions for an uncontested divorce — meaning both spouses agree on the divorce itself and have settled all matters between them (property, custody, support, etc.). Forms can be downloaded from the Judiciary website
A few things specific to the Third Circuit are worth knowing:
The Third Circuit is still in the process of revising its court forms. The Judiciary provides a JEFS cover sheet for attorneys e-filing in the interim, but self-represented litigants who file conventionally at the courthouse do not need to use it.
The Third Circuit offers an online document drop-off service, which lets you submit documents without an in-person courthouse visit — useful given the geographic spread of Hawaiʻi Island. Check with the court clerk, but you may need to use the JEFS cover sheet to file this way.
If your case is contested, or your spouse won’t agree to terms, the standard packet may not cover everything you need, and court staff will likely point you toward hiring an attorney rather than trying to complete it alone.
Once you have the court’s forms in hand, you will also need to pull together your financial information. The Asset and Debt Statement is one of the most important documents in a divorce, and accuracy matters far more than speed. There is no emergency here: these statements are often not filed until the very end of a case, although drafts are frequently shared between the parties during negotiation. Take the time to get the numbers right. For a closer look at what the court expects, read Filling Out Your Asset and Debt Statement: Why “I’ll Estimate Later” Isn’t an Option
Self-Help Center (Big Island)
The Judiciary has established self-help centers in every circuit statewide, including on Hawaiʻi Island (Hilo and Kona). These centers are staffed by volunteer attorneys, along with AmeriCorps members and Legal Aid Society of Hawaiʻi staff, who provide limited legal information — not legal advice — to help self-represented litigants identify the right forms and understand court processes. This is the most direct in-person resource available to Third Circuit pro se litigants.
Interactive Self-Help Forms
The Judiciary’s Hawaii Self-Help Interactive Forms tool is available statewide including to Third Circuit filers. It asks a series of questions and auto-generates the correct court documents, rather than requiring you to fill out static PDFs from scratch — helpful if you’re unsure which version of a form applies to your situation.
eCourt Kōkua and JEFS E-Filing
eCourt Kōkua lets you look up the status of your own Family Court civil case online.
The Judiciary Electronic Filing and Service System (JEFS) allows electronic filing and service, which can reduce the number of in-person trips to the courthouse — a meaningful convenience for litigants on a large, rural island. As of September 13, JEFS requires multi-factor authentication to log in.
Divorce Law in Hawaiʻi Seminars (Statewide, Available via Zoom)
Although sponsored by the Family Court of the First Circuit, the monthly Divorce Law in Hawaiʻi seminar is streamed on Zoom and open to residents statewide, including the Third Circuit. It’s a free, one-hour session covering custody and visitation, child support, property division, alimony, and the difference between contested and uncontested divorce. 2026 marks the program’s 25th year. I highly recommend everyone contemplating a divorce attend this!
Language Access and ADA Accommodations
Third Circuit litigants can request interpretation services in a wide range of languages through the Judiciary’s Language Access Services, and ADA accommodations through the ADA Coordinator at adarequest@courts.hawaii.gov.
On the Percentage of Pro Se Divorce Cases in the Third Circuit
I could not find a published, official statistic breaking out the percentage of Third Circuit divorce cases specifically that involve one or both parties self-represented, but many, many, litigants are self-represented. The family court judges are skilled at arriving at just and equitable results regardless of whether a litigant is represented. The system is set up to make self-representation feasible, and it may well be the best choice, especially if there are few issues that the parties cannot decide between themselves.
Hawaiʻi has been independently ranked highly (6th nationally in a recent Justice Index, and previously ranked 1st for self-represented litigant support) for its self-help infrastructure.
Bottom Line
Hawaiʻi Island’s Family Court has enough infrastructure to allow many divorcing parties to self-represent — forms, a self-help center, online filing and drop-off options, free seminars, and mediation pathways. But if your case is contested or complicated, you may need to consult with an attorney.
The information provided in this blog post is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this post does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Judy S. Howard. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change over time, and the application of law to any particular situation requires individual legal analysis. If you need legal advice, please consult a licensed attorney directly.