Rule 1.3.Classification of Actions.

Current through July 1, 2026 · Last verified September 11, 2026

In one sentenceRule 1.3 sorts family court actions into eighteen categories and gives each one the case-number prefix that identifies it on every document.

Full Text of Rule 1.3

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(a) (a) Actions in the Family Court are classified as follows and shall be assigned case numbers preceded by one of the following prefixes:

(1) (1) Actions for divorce, separation, and annulment (FDV)

(2) (2) Actions for civil union divorce, separation, and annulment (FCU)

(3) (3) Actions for parentage filed before January 1, 2021 (FPP)

(4) (4) Actions for parentage filed on or after January 1, 2021 (FPA)

(5) (5) Actions for an Order for Protection (FDA)

(6) (6) Actions for a Gun Violence Protective Order (FGV)

(7) (7) Actions for Orders under the Child Protective Act (FC-S)

(8) (8) Criminal Prosecutions of Adults (FFC)

(9) (9) Adjudication of Juvenile Offenders (FC-J)

(10) (10) Guardianships of the Person of Minors or Incapacitated Adults (FGD)

(11) (11) Actions under the Dependent Adult Protective Services Act (FAB)

(12) (12) Actions under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (FUF)

(13) (13) Actions under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (FUJ)

(14) (14) Actions under the Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act (Repealed) (FUF)

(15) (15) Appeals to the Family Court from the Decisions and Orders of the Office of Child Support Hearings (FAL)

(16) (16) Actions for adoption (FAN)

(17) (17) Actions for Termination of Parental Rights which are not brought in an FC-S case (FTM)

(18) (18) Any other miscellaneous action over which the Family Court has jurisdiction (FFM)

(b) (b) For documents filed in JEFS or JIMS, the prefixes stated above shall be preceded with a number (1, 2, 3, or 5) indicating the Circuit in which the action is proceeding (e.g., 1FDV, 2FDV, 3FDV or 5FDV).

End

Amendment History

(Renumbered March 30, 2022, effective April 25, 2022.)

Plain-English Summary

Every family court case number begins with a code, and this rule is where the codes come from. Eighteen categories cover the court work: divorce and annulment as FDV, civil union dissolution as FCU, parentage split between FPP for cases filed before January 1, 2021 and FPA for those filed on or after, protective orders as FDA, gun violence protective orders as FGV, child protective cases as FC-S, adult criminal prosecutions as FFC, juvenile adjudications as FC-J, guardianships as FGD, and so on through adoption as FAN and termination of parental rights as FTM.

A catch-all closes the list. Any other miscellaneous action within the family court jurisdiction takes FFM, so no case is left without a prefix.

For anything filed electronically the prefix carries a circuit number in front of it: 1, 2, 3 or 5, giving 1FDV, 2FDV, 3FDV or 5FDV. The number identifies the circuit the action is proceeding in, and a caption that omits it is incomplete on an electronically filed document.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the FDV prefix mean in a Hawaii case number?

It marks an action for divorce, separation or annulment. FCU marks the same relief in a civil union.

Why are there two parentage prefixes?

The date of filing decides. Parentage actions filed before January 1, 2021 take FPP; those filed on or after that date take FPA.

What do the numbers in front of a prefix mean?

They identify the circuit the case is proceeding in, for documents filed in JEFS or JIMS: 1, 2, 3 or 5, producing case numbers such as 1FDV or 5FDV.

Which prefix covers a case that does not fit any category?

FFM, which the rule assigns to any other miscellaneous action over which the family court has jurisdiction.

What prefix does an adoption case carry?

FAN. A termination of parental rights brought outside a child protective case carries FTM.

Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the official Hawaii Family Court Rules (Haw. Fam. Ct. R. 1.3). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Hawaii. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified September 11, 2026. · Official source

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