Rule 69.Execution.

Last amended January 1, 2026 · Last verified July 3, 2026

In one sentenceRule 69 makes a writ of execution the default way to enforce a money judgment, and lets a judgment creditor use ordinary discovery tools to track down the debtor's assets.

Full Text of Rule 69

Text size

Process to enforce a judgment for the payment of money shall be a writ of execution, unless the court directs otherwise. The procedure on execution, in proceedings supplementary to and in aid of a judgment, and in proceedings on and in aid of execution shall be in the manner provided by the law of the State. In aid of the judgment or execution, the judgment creditor or the judgment creditor’s successor in interest when that interest appears of record, may obtain discovery from any person, including the judgment debtor, in the manner provided in these rules for taking depositions.

End

Amendment History

Amended May 15, 1972, effective July 1, 1972

further amended July 9, 2025, effective January 1, 2026

Plain-English Summary

Unless the court orders otherwise, a writ of execution is the process used to enforce a judgment for the payment of money. Beyond issuing the writ itself, the procedure for execution, and for supplementary proceedings in aid of a judgment or execution, follows Hawaii's own state law.

To help a judgment creditor collect what's owed, the rule lets the creditor, or a successor in interest once that interest is on record, use the same discovery tools available for taking depositions to investigate any person's assets, including the judgment debtor's own.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the standard way to enforce a money judgment?

A writ of execution, unless the court directs a different procedure.

Can a judgment creditor use discovery to find the debtor's assets?

Yes. Rule 69 lets the judgment creditor, or a successor in interest of record, obtain discovery from any person, including the debtor, using the same procedures available for taking depositions.

Source & verification. The rule text and History are reproduced verbatim from the official Hawaii Rules of Civil Procedure (Haw. R. Civ. P. 69). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Hawaii (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 602-11; Haw. Const. art. VI, § 7). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 3, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: writ of executionenforcing a money judgmentpost-judgment discovery