Hawaii Law Firm Practice Areas

From Honolulu to the Big Island, the Hawaii Law Offices of Edward J.S.F. Smith provides quality legal assistance in family law and immigration matters, including paternity, adoption, domestic violence, and guardianships. Please see below for more information on the firm's primary areas of concentration. Also, see our individual pages devoted to divorce, international child abduction, and immigration. If you need advice or representation on a particular matter, contact us for a free initial telephone consultation or to schedule an appointment at a time that is convenient for you. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you with your legal needs.

Paternity

Fathers play a crucial role in raising their children to be happy and healthy, and our office is dedicated to helping parents establish the paternity of their children. Establishing paternity is necessary to securing your rights as a father to participate in the life of your child. Also, in the event of a divorce, it is important to both parties that a legal father be established, in order to ensure custody and visitation rights as well as the payment of child support.

Where a couple is unmarried at the time of the child's birth, one method of establishing paternity involves signing a certificate at the hospital during the birth period. However, this method does not provide for visitation or other parental rights, and you may still need to petition the court regarding these other rights. Even among married couples, the presumption of paternity may be overcome where another person is the natural father. Our Hawaii law firm is capable of handling these delicate matters competently, with care and understanding.

Adoption

Adopting a child or baby can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. However, completing an adoption successfully can sometimes be a complicated matter, and it is important to have a qualified, knowledgeable attorney to guide you through the process to avoid any setbacks or needless delays.

The two basic types of adoption in Hawaii are consent and non-consent. In a consent adoption, the birth parents usually know the adopting family. The natural parents sign documents consenting to the adoption, and once approved by the court, the adoptive parents become responsible for the health and welfare of the child. In a non-consent adoption, the natural parents and the adoptive parents either do not know each other or are in conflict regarding the child. A trial in Family Court may be necessary to resolve a non-consent adoption.

There are other adoption situations such as stepparent adoption, relative adoption, and interstate adoption. Whatever your situation may be, our Hawaii attorneys arequalified to lead you smoothly through your adoption case.

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is not only physical abuse, but can include emotional or mental abuse and psychological intimidation. In any event, domestic violence can inflict fear for your safety and that of your children. Firm principal Edward Smith is dedicated to helping people out of domestic violence situations through every avenue of legal relief that is available. Options include filing restraining orders against the perpetrator of domestic violence and seeking renewals of temporary orders to maximize the duration of the order. If you have been injured by domestic violence, it is also possible to initiate a personal injury lawsuit against the perpetrator, even if he or she is a spouse. Receiving compensation in this situation may provide you with the resources to help you to move forward into a life without domestic violence.

Guardianship

Filing for a guardianship or conservatorship is necessary in the event a loved one is unable to make his or her own personal or financial decisions and no other alternatives are available. A guardian is given legal responsibility over the care and welfare of a person that is fully or partially incapable of providing for himself or herself, whereas a conservator is given legal responsibility over a person's assets and finances.

It can be a difficult and emotional time when a loved one has become unable to care for his- or herself or affairs competently. Our Hawaii law firm has initiated guardianship and conservatorship proceedings in many cases and can help ensure that your loved ones are taken care of while preserving their rights and privileges to the fullest practical extent.

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy protection exists to give individuals and businesses struggling with debt some breathing room to restructure their finances or make a fresh start. Filing a bankruptcy puts an immediate stop on all attempts at debt collection, including foreclosures, repossessions, and wage garnishments.

There are several options available under bankruptcy. Chapter 7 allows the court to wipe away debt after selling non-exempt property and applying the proceeds toward existing debt. In Chapters 11, 12, or 13, the debtor develops a plan to reorganize and pay off debt over a period of years. Many companies continue to operate their business while undergoing a bankruptcy reorganization. Our firm can advise you on your options and assist you every step of the way, from filing the initial petition to receiving a final discharge from the court.

We are a debt relief agency. We assist people by filing bankruptcy pursuant to Federal bankruptcy laws.

Experience and Integrity on Your Side in Honolulu

From straightforward to complex legal matters, our goal is to provide attentive and dependable legal counsel to each client we take on. Contact the Law Offices of Edward J.S.F. Smith for an initial phone consultation to find out about your case.