Rule 103.Pleadings.

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

In one sentenceRule 103 requires proof of full legal names in an adoption, keeps the adoptee name out of the case title, and limits when siblings may share one petition.

Full Text of Rule 103

Text sizeJump to: (a) (c) (d) (e) (f)

(a) (a) and (b). Reserved.

(1) (1) OF PETITIONERS. The name of the petitioner or petitioners shall be set forth in the title of the action. Wherever names appear in the pleadings, they shall be written in full and without initials. The name of a person legally married or who entered into a civil union shall include the person’s first or given name, the person’s middle name, if any, the person’s surname prior to the marriage or civil union, and if the person has assumed it, the surname of their partner, and the same procedure shall be required of a widow and of a divorcee who retains the surname of their former spouse or partner.

(2) (2) OF INDIVIDUAL. The title of the action shall not include the name of the individual to be adopted but shall identify the individual only by its sex and date of birth.

In a nonconsent petition, when it is necessary to allege and prove certain grounds which permit dispensing with the consent, the name of the minor child sought to be adopted shall be included in the allegations but not in the title.

(d) (d) Signing of petition. Every petition for adoption shall be signed by the petitioner or petitioners and may be executed under penalty of perjury.

(e) (e) More than one individual in a petition. The filing of one petition for adoption of more than one individual shall be allowed only when the individuals who are born in or out of wedlock are full siblings and all of the individuals are being adopted by the same petitioner or petitioners. Separate petitions shall be filed when the individuals are born out of wedlock to the same mother but different fathers.

(f) (f) - (h). Reserved.

End

Amendment History

(Amended July 9, 2025, effective January 1, 2026.)

Plain-English Summary

Proof of full legal names is required in all adoption cases unless a judge excuses it for good cause. Petitioners are named in the title of the action, and wherever names appear in the pleadings they are written in full and without initials. For a person who has married or entered a civil union, the rule spells out what the full name comprises, including the surname held before the marriage.

The person being adopted is treated the other way. The title of the action must not include the name of the individual to be adopted; it identifies them only by sex and date of birth. In a nonconsent petition, where grounds for dispensing with consent have to be alleged and proved, the child name goes in the allegations but still not in the title.

Every petition is signed by the petitioners and may be executed under penalty of perjury rather than sworn.

One petition may cover more than one individual only where they are full siblings and all are being adopted by the same petitioners. Where children were born out of wedlock to the same mother but have different fathers, separate petitions are required. This is one of the two rules amended most recently before the 2026 order, effective January 1, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the child name in the title of a Hawaii adoption case?

No. The title identifies the individual to be adopted only by sex and date of birth.

Can siblings be adopted in one petition?

Only where they are full siblings and all are being adopted by the same petitioners. Half-siblings require separate petitions.

What names must be proved?

Full legal names in all cases, unless excused by the judge for good cause, written in full and without initials wherever they appear in the pleadings.

Does the petition have to be notarized?

It must be signed by the petitioners and may be executed under penalty of perjury.

What if consent is being dispensed with?

In a nonconsent petition the name of the minor child is included in the allegations but not in the title.

Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the official Hawaii Family Court Rules (Haw. Fam. Ct. R. 103). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Hawaii. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified September 11, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: hawaii adoption petition requirementsadoption case caption hawaiiadopting siblings hawaiihawaii family court rule 103