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Elder law attorneys in Hawaii focus on the legal issues facing aging adults and their families: Medicaid planning for long-term care, drafting and updating durable powers of attorney and healthcare directives, guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, special needs trusts, and asset protection. Many also handle probate and estate planning, but elder law is the specific subset focused on care planning and benefits eligibility. See the Hawaii healthcare proxy and financial power of attorney forms.
Federal law (and Hawaii's implementation) imposes a 5-year lookback period for Medicaid long-term care eligibility. Any uncompensated transfers (gifts, transfers to family members, transfers to a non-Medicaid-qualified trust) within the 5 years before applying for Medicaid can trigger a penalty period during which Medicaid won't pay for nursing home care. This is the main reason Medicaid planning needs to start years before care is actually needed — and the main reason elder law attorneys exist as a distinct practice area.
Estate planning attorneys in Hawaii average $406 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $1,218–$2,436 for a simple individual will and $3,900–$5,850 for a basic revocable trust. Online and DIY services cost $30–$300 for the same documents — see the will cost calculator for a side-by-side comparison.
Hawaii has a generous small-estate threshold of $100,000. Estates under that line can use the Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property procedure, which is a form rather than a court case — most families can handle it without an attorney. For estates above the threshold, formal probate generally benefits from counsel because of the procedural overhead, even when nothing is contested. The Hawaii probate calculator estimates total costs based on estate value.
In Hawaii, the situations where retaining counsel is typically worth the cost are: blended families with children from prior relationships; ownership of a business, rental property, or significant investment assets; special-needs dependents who need a special-needs trust to preserve benefits; estates near or above the Hawaii estate tax threshold; substantial property held in multiple states. If none of these describe your situation, the simpler online and DIY tools are often enough.
Search 4,003 estate law firms across 51 states.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability.
12 firms
Honolulu attorney providing estate planning, probate and estate administration, Medicaid planning, elder law, and tax law services.
Location
220 S. King Street, Suite 1600Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone
(808) 638-3987
Service Area
1 county
Founded in 2017, Bonner Sogi & Associates is a Honolulu boutique firm whose attorneys handle estate planning, long-term care and special needs planning, trust and estate administration, probate, conservatorships, guardianships, and trust and estate litigation. Co-founder Geoff J. Sogi is recognized by Super Lawyers for Estate Planning & Probate.
Location
705 S. King Street, Suite 105Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone
(808) 492-1907
Established
2017
Service Area
1 county
South Maui (Kihei) solo practice handling estate matters before the Second Circuit Court, Maui County's probate venue. Donald Chaikin takes probate administration and post-death fiduciary work, advising executors and trustees on estate settlement, fiduciary accounting, and the tax returns an estate must file. He pairs this with estate-tax planning when an estate carries unresolved tax questions.
Location
P.O. Box 1751Kihei, HI 96753
Phone
(808) 280-2044
Service Area
1 county
Dawn N. Murata has more than 20 years of litigation and transactional experience on Kauai, with a practice focused on estate planning, wills and trusts, probate, and elder law.
Location
2970 Kele Street, Suite 205Lihue, HI 96766
Phone
(808) 245-4572
Service Area
1 county
Big Island solo practitioner based in Pahoa (Puna/East Hawaii) with 20+ years of legal experience. Offers free initial consultations and makes house calls across the Big Island.
Location
13-3863 Pahoa Kalapana RoadPahoa, HI 96778
Phone
(808) 345-7504
Established
2016
Service Area
1 county
Since 1992, George Nam has helped Hawaii clients with estate planning, revocable/irrevocable trusts, wills, probate, Medicaid lien avoidance, and guardianship. Also has an office in Aiea at Pearlridge Office Center. Saturday hours available.
Location
1441 Kapiolani Blvd, Suite 1711Honolulu, HI 96814
Phone
(808) 943-1711
Established
1992
Service Area
1 county
Rhonda M. Fosbinder has 30 years of practice providing estate planning, estate administration, elder law, and real property transfer services on Maui. Listed on Maui County Bar Association for estate planning, probate, and conservators/guardianship.
Location
305 E. Wakea Avenue, Suite 200Kahului, HI 96732
Phone
(808) 242-4956
Service Area
1 county
Jarrett P. Macanas holds an LL.M. in Taxation from Boston University School of Law and has assisted over 2,000 Hawaii residents with estate planning. Specializes in revocable living trusts, wills, and Medicaid planning. Also visits clients on the Big Island and Maui.
Location
1001 Bishop Street, Suite 2850Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone
(808) 377-0180
Service Area
Statewide
John K. Matsumoto has 20+ years of experience advising high net worth clients on elder law, trusts and estates, estate planning, and tax-efficient wealth transfer strategies. Member of HSBA Probate & Estate Planning, Tax Law, and Elder Law sections.
Location
733 Bishop Street, Suite 2356Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone
(808) 548-5700
Service Area
1 county
Maui-based firm focusing on estate planning, elder law, Medicaid planning, probate, trust administration, conservatorships, and guardianships.
Location
156 Central AvenueWailuku, HI 96793
Phone
(808) 244-3905
Service Area
1 county