Probate in Kauai County

Probate Court Record

Kauai County Fifth Circuit Court

Kauai County · 5th Circuit

Hours

Monday-Friday 7:45 AM-4:30 PM (except state holidays)

Office

Pu'uhonua Kaulike, 3970 Ka'ana Street, Lihue, HI 96766

Filing in person

Walk-ins accepted

Self-represented filing

Allowed

How to file probate in Kauai County →

Verified October 15, 2026 · Source

Do I need a lawyer for probate in Kauai County? →Settling an estate in Kauai County →

Asset Protection Firms Serving Kauai County

Serves clients from a Honolulu office at 999 Bishop Street. Its trusts and estates group represents personal representatives and trustees in probate and trust administration, counsels families and fiduciaries on post-death planning such as disclaimers and tax elections, handles will and trust contests and fiduciary litigation, and represents fiduciaries in estate tax audits.

Since 1878Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTrust LitigationGuardianshipAsset Protection

Serves Hawaii Island from offices in Waimea and Kailua-Kona, with attorneys who visit Maui and Oahu and handle cases statewide. Handles probate administration, trust administration, and estate and trust litigation including will contests and breach-of-fiduciary-duty cases. Home visits are available on each island on request.

Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTrust LitigationAsset Protection+2

Serves all Hawaiian islands from offices in Honolulu and Hilo, with a probate department that handles cases statewide. Handles ordinary probate (informal and formal), expedited ancillary probate for estates opened in another state or country, and affidavits for collecting small estates of personal property. The firm also practices Medicaid and elder law, and its probate page publishes typical cost and timeline estimates.

Serves the whole stateFree consultationEstate PlanningProbateElder LawAsset ProtectionMedicaid Planning

All 6 Hawaii asset protection firms serving Kauai County →

Forms for Planning Your Estate in Hawaii

Free forms for planning your estate in Hawaii: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Hawaii.

$12/month

Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

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Free

Pour-Over Will

In Hawaii, a pour-over will is signed before 2HRS § 560:2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.

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Free

Transfer on Death Deed

In Hawaii, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryHRS 527-1 to 527-17Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathHRS 527-1 to 527-17Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. Hawaii does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.

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Free

Last Will and Testament

In Hawaii, a will is signed before 2HRS § 560:2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyHRS § 560:2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

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All Hawaii forms

Tools for Planning Your Estate in Hawaii

Free tools for planning your estate in Hawaii: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Hawaii and read its answer.

Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?

In Hawaii, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.3%Modeled estimate under HRS § 560:3-721 (court reviews attorney compensation for reasonableness; no statutory fee schedule): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.6%Modeled estimate under HRS § 560:3-721 (court reviews attorney compensation for reasonableness; no statutory fee schedule): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.

Calculate Costs

How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Hawaii runs $3,900Estimate: 10 hours at $390, Clio's Hawaii Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,850Estimate: 15 hours at $390, Clio's Hawaii Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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Do I Need a TOD Deed?

Hawaii authorizes transfer on death deedsHRS 527-1 to 527-17Verified Oct 17, 2026View source: a recorded, revocable deed that passes real property at death outside probate.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

Hawaii automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceHRS § 560:2-804Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

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All Hawaii tools