Rule 1.2.Family Court Cases Maintained in JIMS.
Current through July 1, 2026 · Last verified September 11, 2026
Full Text of Rule 1.2
Amendment History
(Added March 30, 2022, effective April 25, 2022.)
Plain-English Summary
The default is electronic. All cases filed in family court are maintained in JIMS, and everything filed in them goes through JEFS or JIMS as appropriate, in accordance with the Hawaii Electronic Filing and Service Rules.
Two categories sit outside. Cases filed under the Child Protective Act, chapter 587A of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, are not maintained in JIMS. Neither are cases for the adjudication of juvenile offenders under the two jurisdictional paragraphs of section 571-11. Those are the most sensitive files the family court holds, and keeping them off the general system is a confidentiality decision as much as a technical one.
The carve-out matters to a practitioner because it changes how a document gets filed and served. In an excluded case there is no Notice of Electronic Filing to stand as proof of service, so the conventional service tracks in Rule 5 do the work instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Hawaii family court cases are kept in JIMS?
All of them, except cases filed under the Child Protective Act and cases for the adjudication of juvenile offenders.
Why are child protective and juvenile cases excluded?
The rule does not give a reason. Both categories are among the most confidential files the family court keeps, and they are handled outside the general electronic system.
How are documents filed in a case maintained in JIMS?
Through JEFS or JIMS as appropriate, following the Hawaii Electronic Filing and Service Rules.
Does an excluded case change how service works?
It does in practice. Without electronic filing there is no Notice of Electronic Filing to serve as proof, so the conventional service provisions of Rule 5 apply.
Which statute governs child protective proceedings in Hawaii?
Chapter 587A of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, the Child Protective Act.