Haw. Fam. Ct. R. 5

As amended through September 30, 2024
Rule 5 - Filing and Service of Pleadings and Other Papers on Parties
(a) Service: When required. Every order, every pleading subsequent to the original complaint unless the court otherwise orders, every paper relating to discovery required to be served upon a party unless the court otherwise orders, every written motion other than one which may be heard ex parte, and every written notice, appearance, demand, brief or memorandum of law, offer of judgment, form of order, judgment or decree proposed to the court, or other written communication to the court, bill of costs, designation of record on appeal, and similar paper shall be served upon each of the parties, but no service need be made on parties in default for failure to appear, except that pleadings asserting new or additional claims for relief against them shall be served upon them in the manner provided for service of summons in Rule 4 of these rules.
(b) Service: How made. Whenever under these rules service is required or permitted to be made upon a party and that party is represented by an attorney, the service shall be made upon the attorney unless service upon the party is ordered by the court. Service upon the attorney or upon a party shall be made by delivering a copy to the attorney or party or by mailing it to the attorney or party at the attorney's or party's last known address or, if no address is known, by any other method authorized by Rule 4(e) of these rules. Delivery of a copy within this Rule means: handing it to the attorney or to the party; or leaving it at the attorney's or party's office with a clerk or other person in charge thereof; or, if there is no one in charge, leaving it in a conspicuous place therein; or, if the party's office is closed or the [person to be served] party has no office, leaving it at the party's dwelling house or usual place of abode with some person of suitable age and discretion then residing therein. Service by mail is complete upon mailing.
(c) Proof of service. Proof of service may be by written acknowledgment of service, by affidavit or declaration of the person making service, or by any other proof satisfactory to the court, unless otherwise provided by these rules, order of the court, or statute. A party who has been prejudiced by failure to receive due notice or to be served, or who has been prejudiced by reason that service was made by mail, may apply to the court for appropriate relief.
(d) Filing. Except as provided in subdivision (f) of this rule, all papers after the complaint required to be served upon a party shall be filed with the court either before service or within a reasonable time thereafter.
(e) Filing with the court defined. The filing of pleadings and other papers with the court as required by these rules shall be made by filing them with the clerk of the court, except that the judge may permit the papers to be filed with the judge, in which event the judge shall note thereon the filing date and forthwith transmit them to the office of the clerk. Any other rule to the contrary notwithstanding, the clerk shall not refuse to accept for filing any paper presented for that purpose solely because it is not presented in proper form as required by these rules. Proposed findings, conclusions, orders, or judgments submitted for signature shall be dated and stamped "lodged" or "received" by the clerk and transmitted to the court for consideration.
(f) Nonfiling of discovery materials. A deposition, interrogatory, request for discovery production or inspection, request for documents, request for admissions, and answers and responses thereto shall not be filed automatically with the court; provided that on a motion or at trial any such document shall be filed when offered in evidence or submitted as an exhibit. In addition the court may at any time, on ex parte request or sua sponte, order the filing of any discovery material.

Haw. Fam. Ct. R. 5

Amended July 1, 1982, effective 7/1/1982; further amended March 16, 1984, partly effective 3/16/1984; fully effective 5/1/1984; further amended June 23, 1997 and July 2, 1997, effective 8/1/1997; further amended October 11, 1999, effective 1/1/2000; further amended November 5, 1999; further amended November 20, 2014, effective 1/1/2015.