Aloha Mortuary is a Native Hawaiian-owned mortuary in the One Kapiolani Building in Honolulu. It states it arranges cremation, burial and destination burials, forwards and receives remains across state and international borders, and handles placement in national or state veterans cemeteries. Its cultural services are planned with local cultural practitioners (kumu).
What to Do When Someone Dies in City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii
How probate works in City and County of Honolulu: the First Circuit Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
City and County of Honolulu First Circuit Court
City and County of Honolulu · 1st Circuit
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:15 PM (except state holidays)
Office
Ka'ahumanu Hale, 777 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813-5093
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
E-filing
Required for attorneysAttorneys must register as JEFS (Judiciary Electronic Filing and Service System) users and file every document through JEFS (HEFSR Rules 4.1(a) and 2.2). A self-represented party may register for JEFS but is not required to, and may keep filing paper documents at the courthouse (HEFSR Rule 4.1(c); JEFS Self-Represented Litigant Guide, April 2023). JEFS requires multi-factor authentication since September 13, 2026. Death certificates are sealed upon filing under Hawaii Probate Rules Rule 3(d). First Circuit civil e-filing questions: 808-539-4303 or Civil.1CC@courts.hawaii.gov. On paper: Original wills: after the pleading is e-filed, the original paper will, one copy and a paper copy of the file-stamped pleading are submitted to the clerk (RCCH Rule 2(g)).
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedThe Circuit Court Filing Window and File Room at Kaʻahumanu Hale are open 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Friday except state holidays; no appointment is published.
Self-represented filing
AllowedSelf-represented filers may file probate without an attorney; JEFS e-filing is optional for them and paper filing is accepted at the counter (HEFSR Rule 4.1(c); JEFS Self-Represented Litigant Guide). Hawaii does not publish a county-specific probate forms packet.
Self-help center
- Honolulu District Court Access to Justice Room, Kauikeaouli Hale, 1111 Alakea Street, Third Floor, Honolulu, HI 968131-808-909-2847 · Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00 AM-1:00 PM (phone; in person the first Wednesday of the month)The Access to Justice Room's volunteer attorneys give limited legal assistance on civil district court matters (landlord-tenant, collection and non-family temporary restraining order cases), not probate. Calls are answered by Legal Aid staff who connect the caller with the attorney. Free interpreter services for most languages are available at the self-help centers on request.
Fax
1-808-539-4314
Departments
- Estate & Probate Branch1-808-539-4399 · estatesandprobate.1cc@courts.hawaii.gov
- Legal Documents Branch I (Circuit Court Civil and Criminal)1-808-539-4300
- Documents Receiving Section (Document Filing/Notary Authentication)1-808-539-4303
- Files and Services Section (File Room/Records Requests)1-808-539-4308
- Cashier (Circuit Court)1-808-539-4349
- Fiscal (Circuit Court)1-808-539-4350
- Court Reporters Branch1-808-539-4226
- Land & Tax Appeal Court1-808-539-4777
- Facilities Management1-808-538-5490
- ADA Accommodation Requests (Circuit Court)1-808-539-4400 · adarequest@courts.hawaii.gov
About the court
- Court Concierge Desk: 808-539-4767. Document Drop-off was disabled for the First Circuit on October 31, 2022; for JEFS help look under JEFS Help on the e-filing page.
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in City and County of Honolulu
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In City and County of Honolulu, probate runs through the First Circuit Court at Ka'ahumanu Hale, 777 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu. The court sits in the 1st Circuit.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under Hawaii intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Hawaii estates take 9 months to 15 months to move through this process. Creditors have 4 monthsHRS §§ 560:3-801, 560:3-803, 560:3-805, 560:3-806 (am L 2023, c 158; § 3-801 am L 2024, c 7)Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in City and County of Honolulu
What probate costs in City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the First Circuit Court at Ka'ahumanu Hale, 777 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu. The court is part of the 1st Circuit.
Hawaii charges $215Haw. Rev. Stat. § 607-5(b)(14), (c)(32); § 607-5.7(a)(2); Hawaii State Judiciary, List of Civil Filing Fees (updated 6/17/2022)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Hawaii are negotiated, 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 estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Hawaii allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules payHRS § 560:3-719 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage; the § 607-18 percentage schedule applies to trustees, not personal representatives)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Probate in Hawaii typically runs 9 months to 15 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the First Circuit Court
Probate cases in City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii are filed at the First Circuit Court. The court sits in the 1st Circuit.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Estate & Probate Branch, Legal Documents Branch I (Circuit Court Civil and Criminal), Documents Receiving Section, and Files and Services Section (File Room/Records Requests).
The Access to Justice Room's volunteer attorneys give limited legal assistance on civil district court matters (landlord-tenant, collection and non-family temporary restraining order cases), not probate. Calls are answered by Legal Aid staff who connect the caller with the attorney. Free interpreter services for most languages are available at the self-help centers on request.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
In Hawaii, informal probate is availableHRS § 560:3-301Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, and a self-represented executor can usually handle it for a simple, uncontested estate.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the City and County of Honolulu Self-Filing Assessment.
City and County of Honolulu Filing Requirements
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
Ex parte petitions are not e-filed directly through JEFS. The unfiled original ex parte petition, with any supporting or proposed documents, is submitted in paper form to the Estate & Probate Branch (EPB), and a list of interested parties in the Excel spreadsheet format described in the JEFS User Manual is emailed to EstatesAndProbate.1CC@courts.hawaii.gov. EPB returns paper submissions needing correction with a pink sheet and contacts the submitting party for the filing fee before e-filing. An ex parte petition e-filed directly is processed without the opportunity for correction.
SourceHearing petitions: shortly after the petition and supporting documents are e-filed, two file-marked copies of the petition and the proposed order setting the date, time and place of hearing (OSTPH) are delivered to the Estate & Probate Branch, which sets the hearing and e-files the OSTPH. Two paper copies of every other proposed document for the judge’s signature go to the probate judge’s chambers.
SourceInformal applications: shortly after the application and supporting documents are e-filed, a file-marked copy of all e-filed documents and the original of all proposed documents (statements of informal appointment, acknowledgments of authority, letters of appointment) are submitted in paper form to the Estate & Probate Branch. Requests for updated letters are submitted to EPB in paper form with the requesting party’s contact information, the case name and number and the number of copies; fees are payable when the request is presented.
SourceOne P. No. per decedent: every document in the administration of an estate carries the same P. No., and immediately below it notes the type of proceeding (Small Estate, Informal, Supervised, Will Deposit, Demand for Notice, No Fault, Determination of Death). The notation changes as the proceeding changes form (Hawaii Probate Rules Rule 50(a)).
SourceDocument Requirements
A will to be probated is presented to the clerk with a pleading stating why it is presented. With an e-filed pleading, the filing party then submits to the clerk the original paper will and one copy plus a paper copy of the e-filed pleading bearing the electronic file stamp; with a conventionally filed pleading, the paper will and one copy are submitted with the pleadings (RCCH Rule 2(g)).
SourceDeath certificates are sealed upon filing (Hawaii Probate Rules Rule 3(d)), along with birth and marriage certificates and tax returns.
SourceService Requirements
Only JEFS users assigned as parties receive Notices of Electronic Filing, so the petitioning, applying, objecting or prevailing party must conventionally serve e-filed documents (including statements and letters e-filed by the court) on anyone entitled to service who is not a JEFS user or has not consented to electronic service. Postage-prepaid addressed envelopes are submitted for documents the clerk must serve conventionally.
SourceGetting to the First Circuit Court
Parking
Courthouse parking at South Street Garage (corner of South and Pohukaina Streets) and Makai Garage (Halekauwila Street). Municipal rates apply.
What to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the First Circuit Court: Death certificate — no statute or probate rule conditions an application or petition on filing one, but the mandatory statewide flag sheet requires the petitioner to state what it shows (HPR Rule 81 / Appendix A Flag Sheets 1-A, 1-B), and the Judiciary describes embossed CERTIFIED copies being submitted, sealed on filing (HPR Rule 3(d); HRS 560:1-311); Original will and any codicils (for testate estates); Application for informal probate / appointment OR petition for formal probate / appointment, verified by the applicant (notarized for informal applications) (HRS 560:3-301; HPR Rule 5(a))Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 560, art. III (UPC); §§ 560:3-103 (letters), 3-301 to 3-311 (informal), 3-401 to 3-414 (formal)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in City and County of Honolulu
In City and County of Honolulu certified copies of the death certificate come from Hawaii Department of Health - Vital Records Issuance Section; the Local Registrar files the certificate and issues no copies to the public.
Vital Records Office Record
Hawaii Department of Health - Vital Records Issuance Section
City and County of Honolulu · State vital records office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 7:45 AM-4:00 PM
Office
201 Merchant Street, Suite 100, City Financial Tower, Honolulu, HI 96813
Website
Certified copies
From Hawaii Department of Health - Vital Records Issuance Section; the Local Registrar files the certificate and issues no copies to the public
Office of Health Status Monitoring
Issuance/Vital Statistics Section
P.O. Box 3378
Honolulu, HI 96801
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $10 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $4 |
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Medical Examiner
City and County of Honolulu · Department of the Medical Examiner
Phone
1-808-768-3090 (option 2 for the on-duty investigator)
Office
835 Iwilei Road, Honolulu, HI 96817
Website
Verified November 1, 2026 · Source
Funeral Homes in City and County of Honolulu
11 funeral homes and crematories in City and County of Honolulu, each listed with the services it offers, the faiths it serves, the languages its staff speak, its address and its phone.
Ballard Family Moanalua Mortuary is on Kikowaena Street in Honolulu and arranges funerals and cremation memorials for families from across Oahu. As one of the Ballard Family mortuaries on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island, it states experience transporting loved ones to the neighbor islands, the continental United States and other countries. It has a large chapel and a reception area.
Borthwick Mortuary is in the Chinatown area of Downtown Honolulu and has served Hawaii since 1916. It has four chapels, the Maunakea/Vineyard Chapel seating up to 400, each with an adjacent reception lanai for catered events.
Diamond Head Mortuary and Williams Funeral Services is on 18th Avenue in Honolulu and has served families there since 1968, carrying on Williams Funeral Services, established in 1859. Through its partnership with Valley of the Temples Memorial Park & Crematory it offers a funeral home, cemetery and crematory together, and its chapel seats 300 with a 100-seat lanai.
Mililani Mortuary Downtown is the Downtown Chapel on South Kukui Street in Honolulu, a standalone funeral home that Mililani Memorial Park & Mortuary acquired in 1976. Its location page lists funeral and cremation services, a chapel seating more than 150, international service coordination and a pre-need specialist.
Nuuanu Memorial Park & Mortuary is on Nuuanu Avenue in Honolulu, a memorial park below the Royal Mausoleum, incorporated in 1949, that took over the mortuary's operations in 2004. It states it operates its own crematory on site and offers ground burial, mausoleum crypts and columbarium niches. Both of its chapels have Buddhist shrines for Buddhist services.
Funeral homes by city: Honolulu, Kaneohe, Waipahu
Cremation Services in City and County of Honolulu
9 listings
Pre-Need Funeral Plans in City and County of Honolulu
4 listings
Burial Services in City and County of Honolulu
8 listings
Veterans Funeral Services in City and County of Honolulu
2 listings
Funeral Transport in City and County of Honolulu
3 listings
Listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any funeral home or crematory.
Transferring Property in City and County of Honolulu
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the Bureau of Conveyances.
Deeds and other real property documents for City and County of Honolulu are recorded with the Bureau of Conveyances at 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 120, Honolulu, HI 96813. Phone: 1-808-587-0147. Hours: Monday-Friday 7:45 AM-4:30 PM (except state holidays).
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 2867, Honolulu, HI 96803.
The Bureau of Conveyances charges $41 for 1-50 pages, $106 for 51+ pages.
City and County of Honolulu accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC, Indecomm and ePN.
Recording Office Record
Bureau of Conveyances
City and County of Honolulu
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 7:45 AM-4:30 PM (except state holidays)
Office
1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 120, Honolulu, HI 96813
Website
P.O. Box 2867
Honolulu, HI 96803
Fax
1-808-587-0136
Recording fees
| 1-50 pages | $41 |
| 51+ pages | $106 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax |
Bureau of Conveyances published fee schedule, eff. 2/27/2017 (dlnr.hawaii.gov/boc/recording-fees-new/, fetched 2026-10-16); rulemaking authority HRS 502-25(a); HAR § 13-16-22(a)(1)-(2) (am. and comp. 2/10/2017) states $35 / $100, raisable under HRS 92-28
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Probate Attorneys Serving City and County of Honolulu
Hawaii allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in City and County of Honolulu without hiring an attorney. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in Hawaii are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a City and County of Honolulu firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the First Circuit Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
Serves Oahu from First Hawaiian Center in downtown Honolulu. The estate planning group handles probates and trust administration, advises trustees and beneficiaries of personal and large charitable trusts, and prepares wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, and charitable trusts. The firm has practiced in Hawaii for more than 65 years.
Serves Oahu from Central Pacific Plaza in downtown Honolulu, with a second office at the Mary Savio Medical Plaza in Aiea/Pearl City. Handles probate and estate administration alongside wills, trusts, powers of attorney, Medicaid planning, and elder law.
Serves all four Hawaii counties from a Honolulu office on Fort Street. Represents parties in probate and trust litigation, including will and trust contests based on undue influence or lack of capacity, disputes among beneficiaries over shares and distributions, and claims against trustees and personal representatives for mismanagement, improper fees, or self-dealing. The firm's page also addresses challenges involving no-contest clauses.
Serves Oahu from downtown Honolulu. Attorneys Geoff J. Sogi and George O. White handle probates, trust and estate administration, conservatorships, guardianships, and trust and estate litigation, along with estate, long-term care, and special needs planning.
Serves West Oahu from an office on Farrington Highway in Waipahu. The practice prepares wills, living trusts, and health care and general powers of attorney alongside a family law practice. The office keeps Saturday hours, and the first consultation is free.
Serves Honolulu County from downtown Honolulu. Chris Dias practices probate administration and litigation, trust administration and litigation, and conservatorship and guardianship matters.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Legal Sources
(9)·
- Haw. Rev. Stat. § 607-5(b)(14), (c)(32); § 607-5.7(a)(2); Hawaii State Judiciary, List of Civil Filing Fees (updated 6/17/2022)
- Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 560, art. III (UPC); §§ 560:3-103 (letters), 3-301 to 3-311 (informal), 3-401 to 3-414 (formal)
- HRS § 560:3-301
- HRS § 560:3-719 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage; the § 607-18 percentage schedule applies to trustees, not personal representatives)
- HRS §§ 560:3-801, 560:3-803, 560:3-805, 560:3-806 (am L 2023, c 158; § 3-801 am L 2024, c 7)
- Bureau of Conveyances published fee schedule, eff. 2/27/2017 (dlnr.hawaii.gov/boc/recording-fees-new/, fetched 2026-10-16); rulemaking authority HRS 502-25(a); HAR § 13-16-22(a)(1)-(2) (am. and comp. 2/10/2017) states $35 / $100, raisable under HRS 92-28
- City and County of Honolulu First Circuit Court, official page
- City and County of Honolulu Bureau of Conveyances, official page
- City and County of Honolulu vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Hawaii statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in Hawaii
Free tools for settling an estate in Hawaii: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Hawaii.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Hawaii: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysHRS § 560:3-706Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsHRS §§ 560:3-801, 560:3-803, 560:3-805, 560:3-806 (am L 2023, c 158; § 3-801 am L 2024, c 7)Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Hawaii happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeHRS Ch. 554D (Uniform Trust Code)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysHRS §§ 554D-813, 554D-1005Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
In Hawaii, informal probate is availableHRS § 560:3-301Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, and a self-represented executor can usually handle it for a simple, uncontested estate.
Get the Answer
Hire a Hawaii Probate Attorney
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