Hawaii Courts with Jurisdiction Over Civil Matters
HI
District Courts Have exclusive jurisdiction over civil actions in which the value of the claim does not exceed $40,000. Circuit Courts Have general general jurisdiction in civil cases; has exclusive jurisdiction in cases where the contested amount exceeds $40,000; has concurrent jurisdiction with District Courts in civil non-jury cases over amounts between $10,000-$40,000. Intermediate Court of Appeals The Intermediate Court of Appeals is Hawaii's second highest court that reviews appeals from state trial court. The Supreme Court The highest court; makes binding decisions over appeals from lower courts.
$40,000 $40,000 District Courts
Circuit Courts
Intermediate Court of Appeals
Supreme Court
second highest court,
the highest court,
reviews appeals from state trial court
makes binding decisions over appeals from lower courts
Pleadings In the beginning stages of a lawsuit, legal documents called pleadings are filed. To initiate the suit, the plaintiff files a Complaint which sets forth cause(s) of action against named Defendant(s). After the Plaintiff files the Complaint and properly serves the Complaint on the Defendant(s), the Defendant(s) then have 20 days to file an Answer. The Defendant(s)' Answer will respond to each of the causes of action in the Complaint and set forth any defenses, cross claims and/or counter claims.
Discovery
After the parties file all necessary pleadings, the discovery process will begin. This can include any of the following:
Interrogatories Formal questions and/or requests for information served on one party by and opposing party. The party served with interrogatories must provide written responses or respond with an objection.
Requests for Production of Documents Formal requests for certain documentation relevant to the claims and defenses.
Trial
Depositions Either a party or a non-party witness will provide oral testimony under oath in the presence of a court reporter.
Trials can take from 1 Day
If the parties have not reached a settlement, at the conclusion of discovery, the case then proceeds to trial. Depending on the complexity, a trial can take as little as a single day or as long as several weeks. At the conclusion of a typical civil trial, the jury will return a verdict for the plaintiff and award money damages or the jury will return a verdict finding that the defendant was not at fault.
to 2 Weeks
Motions and Appeals After the jury returns their verdict, the parties may file post trial motions and/or appeal the verdict to the appropriate appellate court in Hawaii.