For O`ahu Media Release: January 13, 2010

The first “Divorce Law in Hawaii” program of the year will be held on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., in the Supreme Court courtroom on the second floor of Aliiolani Hale, 417 South King Street (behind the King Kamehameha statue).

A list of the dates and times that the program will be held during the rest of the year is posted on the Judiciary’s website at www.courts.state.hi.us.

The program is free and open to the public. It is presented monthly by the Oahu Family Court to provide general information to parties going through a divorce. RSVPs are not necessary.

Attorney William C. Darrah will provide an overview of Hawaii law as it relates to custody and visitation, division of property and debt, child support, alimony, and other divorce issues. He will also cover the legal process and the resources available to someone going through a Hawaii divorce.

Darrah has practiced divorce law in Hawaii for more than 30 years. A trained divorce mediator, arbitrator, and settlement master, and the editor of the Hawaii State Bar Association’s Hawaii Divorce Manual and Journal of Hawaii Family Law, he has taught numerous family law education programs to judges, lawyers and members of the public since 1979.

“Outreach programs like the Family Court’s Divorce Law program are important because they help inform members of the public who may be involved in a legal matter about the legal process and parties’ rights,” said Marsha Kitagawa, the Judiciary’s information specialist. “Unfortunately, because of severe cutbacks to the Public Affairs Office, we recently suspended another popular community outreach program, Lunch ‘n’ Learn the Law.”

Lunch ‘n’ Learn the Law — the Hawaii State Judiciary’s free, monthly public outreach program that featured volunteer lawyers and judges who provided helpful information about various legal topics — has been suspended due to a reduction in resources. The program had about 5,000 participants during its twelve-year run.

Several of the sessions were videotaped and may be viewed on the Judiciary’s Internet website.

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The Hawai`i State Judiciary does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information provided by the speakers. The speakers’ remarks do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Judiciary. The information provided by the speakers is a general overview of basic legal concepts, and is not intended as legal advice for any specific person or situation.

Contact: Marsha Kitagawa, 539-4909