Haw. Fam. Ct. Civil JEFS Guide: JEFS Operations Town Hall 040822 web

JEFS OPERATIONAL INFORMATION April 8, 2022 Presentation to

FOR 1C FAMILY COURT CIVIL CASES HSBA members

JEFS RESOURCES AND CONTACT INFO

JEFS FC Civil Information Page on Judiciary Website

 https://www.courts.state.hi.us/family-court-civil-jefs-info-page

 JEFS Users System Manual (Technical JEFS info), JEFS Users Guide (Operations for ea. Circuit), JEFS

FAQs, etc.

JEFS Questions prior to April 25, 2022

 Email pao@courts.hawaiI.gov

 Phone: Legal Documents Branch of each circuit

JEFS Technical questions between April 25 - May 20

 Check the FC Civil JEFS Information page on 4/25/22 for the Technical support number.

JEFS RESOURCES AND CONTACT INFO

For JEFS case specific or court operations Third Circuit - Kona

policy questions between April 25 - May 20,  email: KonaFC.3CC@courts.hawaii.gov

please contact:  phone: 808-322-8750

First Circuit

 email: FCCivil.1CC@courts.hawaii.gov

Fifth Circuit

 phone: 808-954-8101  email: JIMSQuery.5CC@courts.hawaii.gov

phone: 808-482-2673

Second Circuit

 email: email DCCrim.2DC@courts.hawaii.gov

 phone: 808-961-7400

Third Circuit - Hilo

 email: CFC.3CC@courts.hawaii.gov

 phone: 808-961-7400

QUESTION: WHAT ARE THE HOURS OF OPERATION

FOR ELECTRONIC COURT FILING?

The electronic filing system is available every day, including holidays and weekends.

The system is shut down for maintenance each night from Monday through Saturday

between midnight and 4:00 a.m. System maintenance is longer on Sundays from

12:00 a.m. to noon. The system may have slowdowns near midnight. System

availability information can also be found on the Judiciary’s e-filing webpage.

QUESTION: WHO CAN WE CONTACT FOR E-FILING

PROBLEMS AFTER WORK HOURS AND ON WEEKENDS?

The Judiciary does not offer live customer support for JEFS users after work hours or

on weekends. If you are not comfortable with using JEFS, we suggest that you

electronically file your documents during business hours sufficiently prior to any

deadline so that you can contact the court staff if you are unable to efile successfully.

BASIC JEFS/JIMS TERMINOLOGY

Term Definition

JIMS The Judiciary Information Management System (JIMS) was developed by the Hawaiʻi

State Judiciary to provide an integrated statewide case management system for all

courts and case types. JIMS initially launched in 2005 with traffic cases and has since

expanded to include all case types except for juvenile cases.

JEFS In 2010, the Judiciary Electronic Filing System (JEFS) was added to JIMS. JEFS allows

attorneys to electronically file (e-file) documents to their cases without coming to a

courthouse.

eCourt Kokua eCourt Kokua provides the general public, non-JEFS users, and JEFS users with online

access to case information, online document purchase of non-confidential documents in

all case types except traffic, and electronic document certification.

NEF JEFS automatically generates and e-mails a Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) to other

JEFS users associated with the case, which significantly reduces the need for conventional

service.

BASIC JEFS/JIMS TERMINOLOGY

Term Definition

Confidential In JEFS/JIMS, “confidential” is a designation for a case. All documents and information in

a confidential case are not accessible to the public. Parties on a confidential case will

have access to the case in JEFS.

Sealed In JEFS/JIMS, “sealed” is a designation for a document(s). Sealed documents are not

accessible to the public, but are accessible to other parties on the case.

In-Camera IN JEFS/JIMS, “in camera” is a designation for a document(s). In-Camera documents are

only accessible to the presiding judge in the case. A document e-filed as in-camera is not

accessible by the parties or public.

QUESTION: WHAT ARE THE CASE TYPES IN

JEFS/JIMS?

Family Court Civil cases in JEFS/JIMS are categorized into the following types of

cases that generally correspond to how the cases were categorized in

HAJIS/Ho’ohiki:

Adult Abuse (FAB)

Adoption (FAN)

Family Court Appeal (FAL)

Civil Union (FCU)

Domestic Abuse (FDA)

Divorce (FDV)

Guardianship (FGD)

Gun violence (FGV)

Family Court Miscellaneous (FFM)

Paternity (FPA)

Termination of Parental Rights (FTM)

Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction &

Enforcement Act (FUJ)

Uniform Interstate Family Support Act

(FUF)

Note: See JEFS User Guide for listing of Family Court Miscellaneous sub-case types (e.g. Child

Custody, Involuntary Hospitalization).

QUESTION: WILL FC-S CASES BE PART OF JEFS

ONE DAY?

There are no plans at this time to include Family Court Special (FC-S) or Family Court

Juvenile (FC-J) cases in JEFS/JIMS.

JEFS/JIMS FAMILY CIVIL LAUNCH TIMELINE

April 20 (W) – Ho‘ohiki data freezes at 4:30 p.m. Conventional filing continues.

April 22 (F) – Entire JEFS/JIMS system will be offline from 5 p.m. through the

weekend.

April 25 (M) – Launch of JIMS FC Civil. Mandatory attorney JEFS e-filing begins.

April 25 (M) – JIMS Statewide (Technical) and Circuit (Operational) Support begins.

May 20 (F) – JIMS Statewide (Technical) and Circuit (Operational) Support ends.

QUESTION: HOW MUCH IS THIS SYSTEM LIKE THE

FILINGS IN APPELLATE, CRIMINAL AND CIVIL CASES?

CAN WE USE THE SAME PASSWORD FOR JEFS?

JEFS is the same basic system for efiling for all supported cases types (Appellate,

Criminal and Civil). There are minor differences in JEFS features for individual case

types.

If you are already a registered JEFS user, your JEFS login and password will remain

the same.

QUESTION: HOW WILL WE VIEW, ACCESS AND

DOWNLOAD CASE FILES AND DOCUMENTS?

If you are a JEFS user, you do not need to pay to view or access documents that are available

online in your active cases (My Cases, All Firm Cases). You may download the electronically

filed documents in your active cases for free from your Manage Cases screen and print them if

desired.

When JEFS users electronically file through JEFS, they upload their documents and the image

of the documents are usually accessible online within 20 to 30 minutes. On the other hand, if

the documents are conventionally filed over-the-counter by a self-represented litigant, the

clerk must scan the documents and then upload them to the docket in JIMS. Depending on the

clerk’s workload, it might take several days before those documents are viewable in

JEFS/JIMS.

Please note that not all public documents will be available online through JEFS or the JIMS

public interface, called eCourt Kokua. Particularly, all Family Court civil documents that were

conventionally filed prior to the launch of JIMS Family Court Civil cannot be downloaded

online because they will be retained in paper format at the courthouse and will not be

scanned into JIMS

QUESTION: FOR SEARCHING COURT CASES, WILL THERE

CONTINUE TO BE A HO`OHIKI SYSTEM AND WHAT

CASES WILL BE ON THE SYSTEM?

Effective April 25, 2022, Ho‘ohiki will be deactivated. All non-confidential Family

Court Civil information will be available in eCourt Kokua.

Please note that not all public documents will be available online through JEFS or the

JIMS public interface, called eCourt Kokua. Particularly, all Family Court civil

documents that were conventionally filed prior to the launch of JIMS Family Court

Civil cannot be downloaded online because they will be retained in paper format at

the courthouse and will not be scanned into JIMS.

QUESTION: WHAT IS THE CASE ID FORMAT WHEN

ENTERING MY CASE ID IN JIMS?

The format to use when looking up cases in JEFS/eCourt Kokua for cases initiated

after April 25, 2022, through JEFS/eCourt Kokua is: “1FDV-22-100” where “1”

stands for First Circuit; “FDV” represents the divorce case type; “22” represents the

year 2022 for the year of filing; and “100” refers to the case number.

For cases initiated prior to April 25, 2022, the cases are formatted differently and a

guide to searching for these cases is available on the Judiciary’s eCourt Kokua web

page.

LAUNCH DAY CATCH UP STARTS APRIL 25 (MON)

All attorneys will begin mandatory e-filing through JEFS.

Court documents that have been conventionally filed at the courthouse during the

blackout period (on April 21&22) will be docketed by court staff into JIMS.

Information relating to court events, such as minutes from court hearings during the

blackout period (on April 21&22), will be manually entered into JIMS by the court

staff.

It may take court staff some time to complete the input of work from the blackout

period. Therefore, your patience is greatly appreciated.

CASE PARTIES AND SERVICE

When JIMS Family Civil launches on April 25, 2022, attorneys will find that their active cases

are already assigned and accessible to them in JEFS.

Parties represented by attorneys will be served electronically via a Notice of Electronic Filing

(NEF) beginning on April 25.

JEFS users, however, must provide conventional service at case initiation and throughout the

case to all non-JEFS parties (mostly self-represented litigants), as provided in HEFSR 6.2 and

the revised HFCR Rule 1(c) and 1(d).

Attorneys have the capability in JEFS to e-file to non-confidential cases in which they are not a

party or attorney of record.

Attorneys also have the ability in JEFS to add themselves as a party to a non-confidential

case.

Attorneys should not add other attorneys as a party to a case.

QUESTION: ARE UNREPRESENTED PARTIES REQUIRED

TO FILE DOCUMENTS ELECTRONICALLY?

Self-Represented Litigants are not required to use JEFS and may still file

conventionally. Under the Hawaii Electronic Filing and Service Rules, however, Self-Represented Litigants may request to become JEFS users to e-file and receive service

via JEFS on an existing case.

QUESTION: WITH JEFS, WILL NEFS BE DISTRIBUTED

AUTOMATICALLY TO THE PARTIES AND/OR RECIPIENTS

ON RECORD?

Only JEFS users who are parties to the case will receive a NEF. Self-represented

litigants (SRLs) who are not JEFS users will still need to be served through conventional

means – US Mail or personal delivery – as currently required by court rule.

HCRR RULE 9

JEFS users should familiarize themselves with both the Hawai‘i Electronic Filing and

Service Rules (HEFSR) and Hawai‘i Court Records Rules (HCRR) in addition to the

revised Hawaii Family Court Rules (HFCR).

Once JIMS FC Civil launches, all unsealed documents in non-confidential cases will be

available for purchase/download by the public through the Judiciary’s eCourt Kokua

system.

Before electronically filing any document, the JEFS user should review all documents

for personal information. If personal information appears in the document, then HCRR

Rule 9 must be followed in documents that will be available to the public.

More detailed information is available in HCCR and in the FC Civil JEFS User Guide.

QUESTION: CAN WE USE INITIALS FOR NOTICE TO

ATTEND KIDS FIRST?

Yes. Attorneys should use the minor’s initials on the Notice to Attend Kids first form

and include the age of the minor in parenthesis.

QUESTION: FOR OUR CLIENT'S FINANCIAL

INFORMATION, TO PRESERVE THEIR PRIVACY, IS IT OK

IF WE FILE A DOCUMENT AS SEALED?

Attorneys must comply with applicable statutes and rules when sealing documents. It is

not proper to just seal documents publicly available because they do not want it to

be shared with the public. In regards to documents that include financial information,

they should be accessible to the public when filed in case types that are open to the

public (e.g. divorce). In publically accessible case types, Rule 9 of HCRR must be

followed. For case types in which filed documents are confidential by statute/court

rule, the financial information will not be accessible by the public. The court can

unseal documents which were not properly sealed.

SEALED VS. IN-CAMERA DOCUMENTS

When e-filing a document, an attorney has the option to file a document as “Sealed"

or "In Camera."

If the attorney selects "Seal," then the document will only be accessible to all the

parties on the case.

If the attorney selects "In Camera," then only the Judge and their designated

employees will be able to view the document. The Court can order that only certain

parties can view the document in JEFS.

Both sealed and in-camera documents are not available for viewing or purchase by

the public through eCourt Kokua.

QUESTION: CAN WE DECLARE ANY DOCUMENT WE

WANT TO AS "SEALED" JUST BECAUSE WE FEEL LIKE

IT?

While JEFS users have the ability to temporarily seal any document when e-filing,

each sealed, e-filed document will eventually be reviewed by the court and other

parties. The court can unseal improperly sealed documents. Attorneys should comply

with applicable statutes and court rules when e-filing a document under seal.

QUESTION: IF WE ARE THE ONES SEALING THE

DOCUMENT, CAN WE SEE IT?

JEFS treats sealed and in camera documents differently. The attorney on the case will

be able to see any sealed documents filed. No one other than the Judge on the case

may see in camera documents. You should be able to provide a copy to your client of

any sealed documents you have filed in their case.

CASE CONFIDENTIALITY DURING CASE CREATION

The following case types are categorically confidential in JEFS as required by

statute:

Adult Abuse Involuntary Hospitalization – Adult Mental

Health

Adoption

Involuntary Hospitalization – Minor

Assisted Community Treatment

Involuntary Outpatient Treatment – Minor

Emergency Examination – Adult Mental Health

Emergency Examination – Minor Involuntary Outpatient Treatment – Adult

Guardianship Substance Abuse

Guardianship Registration Juvenile Expungement

Involuntary Hospitalization – Adult Termination of Parental Rights

CASE CONFIDENTIALITY DURING CASE CREATION

When JEFS users create a new case in the case types listed in previous slide, the JEFS

system will automatically default the case to confidential status.

Documents e-filed in these categorically confidential cases types do not have to be

individually sealed in JEFS.

Paternity cases filed after December 31, 2020, are not categorically confidential by

law. HRS §584 requires that the Judiciary make the titles of all court filings and the

minutes of court proceedings in paternity cases available to the public. However, HRS

584 also requires all documents filed in paternity cases to be sealed. The JEFS

system will automatically seal all documents e-filed in paternity cases to comply with

this requirement.

QUESTION: CHILDREN'S GUARDIANSHIPS ARE AUTO

CONFIDENTIAL, BUT THOSE OF ADULTS ARE NOT. CAN

WE SEPARATE THEM/SELECT THE CONFIDENTIAL BOX?

Guardianship of a minor cases are confidential and guardianship of the

incapacitated adult cases will be unsealed by the Legal Documents Branch at case

initiation. It is not possible to separate the two forms of guardianship or allow you to

select “confidential” at case initiation.

DOCUMENTS SEALED UPON FILING

The recently adopted HFCR 7.2 requires that the following types of documents be

sealed upon filing. In non-confidential cases, JEFS users must manually seal the following

documents when e-filing:

Divorce Action Information/Matrimonial Marriage certificate

Action Information/Civil Union Divorce Action

Death certificate

Information Notice/Order to Withhold

Income DNA testing results

Petition for Paternity Court ordered professional evaluation

Hawai‘i Paternity Action Information Custody Investigation and/or Evaluation

Confidential Information Sheet/Form A Reports

Attachment for Information on Additional Guardian Ad Litem reports

Children

Kokua Kanawai reports

Birth certificate

FILING FEES

Attorneys may pay filing fees by credit card at the time of e-filing by using the NIC

Hawaii secure online credit card system. There is no additional fee for online

payment by the Judiciary. However, there is a 2.6% processing fee assessed by NIC.

Attorneys may also opt to “Pay Later” at the courthouse or by mail. Payment must be

made in cash (in person only), check, cashier's check, or money order within ten days

of e-filing. Checks should be made payable to the "Clerk of the Court.“

If a court filing fee is not paid within ten days of e-filing, the initiating document or

motion may be stricken from JIMS, and a case may be dismissed.

QUESTION: WHEN SUBMITTING A PAYMENT DUE TO

COURT IN PERSON, DO WE NEED TO SUBMIT PAYMENT

TO THE KAPOLEI COURT?

Payments for Family Court cases may also be made at Kaahumanu Hale.

QUESTION: FOR THE INITIATION FEE, IF WE CLICK

"FEE WAIVER" REQUEST, DOES A FORM

AUTOMATICALLY POP UP?

When selecting a fee waiver, the JEFS system will require the e-filing of a completed

and wet signed “Filing Fee Waiver Request” as a supporting document. A judge will

review the request, and the attorney/requestor will be notified by a Notice of

Electronic Filing (NEF) when the judge makes a decision.

QUESTION: IF WE ARE COMING UP TO THE 10-DAY

PAYMENT DEADLINE, WILL WE BE GETTING A

REMINDER?

If the JEFS user chooses not to pay at the time of e-filing, they will be informed that

they have 10 days to pay. After that notice, the JEFS system will not remind the JEFS

user to pay the amount owed. However you may look at manage payments to see a

list of your and/or your firms outstanding filing fees.

DOCUMENT CATEGORY/DOCUMENT TYPE

DOCUMENT CATEGORY/DOCUMENT TYPE

IMPORTANCE OF DOCUMENT TYPE USED

When e-filing a request for filing fee waiver, for example, the prescribed document

category/document type is “Application”/“Filing Fee Waiver Request.”

When e-filing any document in JEFS, the JEFS e-filer should try to use the prescribed

document category/document type corresponding to that specific type of document.

E-filing a document using a non-prescribed document category/document type will

likely result in delayed document processing.

Prescribed document category/document type are mentioned throughout the JEFS

Users Guide. In the First Circuit, they will be noted on the bottom of each court form.

A comprehensive listing of prescribed docket categories/descriptions used begins in

Appendix A of that guide.

OBTAINING HEARING DATES

In divorce/civil union cases, the JEFS user requesting a hearing will e-file a motion

and separately e-file a Proposed Scheduling Order/Notice of Hearing as a

supporting document.

To request a hearing date via Ex Parte Motion, the JEFS users shall e-file the Ex Parte

Motion, Proposed Order Granting/Denying the Ex Parte Motion, Motion, and

Proposed Scheduling Order.

If the Motion/Ex Parte Motion granted, the court clerk will e-file a scheduling order

and schedule the event in JIMS. The filing party must conventionally serve self-represented parties who are not JEFS users.

For special division case types, please refer to the 1C JEFS Users Guide. For cases in

the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th circuits, please refer to their circuit-specific JEFS Users Guide.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSED ORDERS, DECREES,

AND JUDGMENTS

All Proposed orders, decrees, and judgments should be e-filed with a proposed

coversheet as the first page (e.g., Plaintiff John Doe’s Proposed Order Denying

Motion to Dismiss). Please do not e-file proposed orders, etc., unless you have first

attempted to secure or have secured approval as to form from all other parties as

required by HFCR 58(a).

If any document not approved as to form within the time specified or is disputed, then

you may file a Notice of Submission with the proposed order, etc., as set forth in

HFCR 58. Objections to the form of a proposed order should be filed within the time

specified in HFCR 58 along with the objecting party’s counter-proposed order,

decree, or judgment.

QUESTION: DO ATTORNEYS SUBMIT PROPOSED ORDERS

BY DELIVERING THEM TO THE JUDGE'S CHAMBERS OR

WILL THE JUDGES BE GIVEN AN EMAIL ADDRESS?

Neither. Attorneys are to efile proposed orders, judgments and decrees in JEFS with a

cover sheet as the first page. For disputed orders, the party shall efile a Notice of

Submission with the proposed order attached.

Judges will modify the documents as needed, and either apply their /s/ signature or

wet sign the documents. Court employees shall eFile the final, signed

orders/judgments/decrees in JIMS. The party who prepared the order shall be

responsible for serving a copy of the eFiled order/judgment/decree to self-represented litigants.

Upon request, attorneys shall provide the court with a word processing version of the

proposed document (Note: This should only be necessary if extensive editing of the

proposed document is required).

PRE-SIGNED SUBPOENAS AND SUMMONS

Upon request, registered attorney JEFS users may obtain signed and sealed

electronic PDF subpoena and summons forms from the Legal Documents Branch. The

PDF subpoena and summons forms can only be used by Hawai‘i State Bar members

and will not be accessible on the Judiciary’s Internet website.

Once a subpoena and summons are served, the return of service is either: (1) scanned

and e-filed by the JEFS user or (2) conventionally filed by the self-represented party

at the Legal Documents Branch, where it will be scanned and e-filed into JIMS by the

clerk.

Parties must e-file/file the first page of the subpoena/summons form at issuance and

the second page after service.

CERTIFIED COPIES OF COURT DOCUMENTS

Consistent with current Judiciary policy in both the State Appellate, Criminal and Civil courts, the

certification fee will no longer be waived if certification of a filed document is requested at the

counter.

The HFCR has been amended to reduce the need for certified documents.

Certified copies of non-confidential court documents filed in JEFS can be purchased from eCourt

Kokua, the website through which the public may access court information online. Once purchased,

an electronic certification will appear in red on the bottom of the document's first page.

Alternatively, certified copies of court documents may be purchased at the courthouse.

Conventionally certified copies will include the traditional, embossed seal.

Once someone pays for a certified copy of a document through eCourt Kokua, they will have a

PDF document from which they can print as many certified copies of that document as they want.

If anyone questions the authenticity of an electronically certified court document purchased through

eCourt Kokua, ask them to verify the filed document themselves by looking it up in eCourt Kokua.

Or they can contact the appropriate courthouse for verification.

QUESTION: DOES THE INITIAL FILING FEE

INCLUDE CERTIFICATION FOR ANY DOCUMENTS?

No. Filing fees and incurred court costs are separate. The court will not provide free

certified copies of e-filed documents available to JEFS users.

QUESTION: WHEN WE FILE A COMPLAINT FOR

DIVORCE, DO WE HAVE TO PURCHASE CERTIFIED

COPIES?

You have free access through JEFS to file stamped PDFs for filed documents in your

cases. You only need to purchase a certified copy for service when a certified copy

is required by statute or court rule. There is no requirement in the court rules to

provide parties with certified copies of the complaint or summons in divorce cases.

QUESTION: IF A PARTY HAS BEEN GRANTED A FEE

WAIVER, DOES THAT INCLUDE THE COST OF CERTIFIED

COPIES?

The fee waiver option in the system only applies to case filing fees, not to other court

costs such as certified copies. A listing of both the Family Court Filing Fees and the

Circuit Court Costs are available on the Judiciary website.

Except for state agencies, parties will need to pay for all certified copies (including

Federal agencies). In order for State of Hawai‘i agencies to obtain free certified

copies, they will need to go to the records room and fill out a form to get their copies.

The records room will print the certified copies from JIMS. They do not need to bring

their own copies of the document.

QUESTION: I DON’T OWN A COLOR PRINTER; ARE

BLACK AND WHITE COPIES CONSIDERED SUFFICIENTLY

CERTIFIED FOR US TO SERVE?

JEFS users who electronically purchase and print certified copies in black and white

may serve those copies.

JEFS users who have paid for an electronically certified document, may also bring

that document together with the receipt to the Legal Documents Branch to obtain a

conventional, embossed certification without charge.

Once the document is served, it is up to the recipient to accept the validity of the

certification.

Anyone who questions the authenticity of an electronically certified court document

purchased through eCourt Kokua, may verify the filed document themselves by

looking it up in eCourt Kokua (for a fee), or they can contact the appropriate

courthouse for verification.

REQUESTS FOR COPIES OF CONFIDENTIAL

RECORDS

For all confidential cases other than adoptions, the JEFS user must prepare the Ex

Parte Application regarding Confidential Family Court Record(s) and the Proposed

Order (with a coversheet) as two separate documents.

Requests for adoption records must follow a separate procedure. Whether or not the

JEFS user knows the adoption case number, the JEFS user must prepare: 1) an Ex

Parte Request Regarding Confidential Records of the Family Court and 2) a

proposed order with a coversheet.

The JEFS user must initiate the adoption records request by creating a new adoption

case in JEFS with the subcase type "Adoption Records."

REQUEST FOR AUDIO RECORDINGS OF FAMILY

COURT PROCEEDINGS AND TRANSCRIPTS

To request a Audio Recording (CD), the JEFS user must prepare and e-file to the case

a Request for Audio Compact Disc of Family Court Proceedings and a Proposed

Order Granting/Order Denying Request for Audio Compact Disc of Family Court

Proceedings.

To request a Transcript, the JEFS user must prepare and e-file to the case a Request

for Transcripts of Proceedings and Proposed Order form.

If the request is granted, the JEFS user will be notified via a Notice of Electronic Filing

(NEF), and an AV coordinator at Ka'ahumanu Hale will be notified to fulfill the

request. The JEFS users will be contacted when the CD is ready. A court reporter will

contact the JEFS user prior to working on the transcript.

Please see the JEFS Users Guide for more information.

QUESTION: WILL WE HAVE TO FILE DEPOSITION

TRANSCRIPTS FOR USE AT TRIAL?

Depositions will no longer be filed prior to trial. This is consistent with how the federal

district court and circuit court civil handles the depositions.

A deposition transcript will generally not be filed with the court, except if any portion

of the transcript is read into the record in lieu of the live testimony of the deponent.

Please refer to HFCR 32.

COURT FORMS

First Circuit forms that were previously available on the Judiciary Internet website will

be modified for JEFS use.

Please use these new forms instead of the old ones for the following reasons: 1) They

comply with formatting requirements; 2) They comply with new rule requirements; 3)

In First Circuit, they will include prescribed document category/document type

information for e-filing.

The new forms can be accessed on the court forms webpage at:

https://www.courts.state.hi.us/self-help/courts/forms/oahu/family_court_forms

GUIDANCE ON CASE INITIATION FOR SPECIFIC

CASE TYPES AND PROCESSES

Each Judicial Circuit, including the First Circuit, will soon be issuing a JEFS User Guide.

This guide will provide the information necessary for JEFS users to properly initiate

specific case types in JEFS.

https://www.courts.state.hi.us/family-court-civil-jefs-info-page

For more information, please contact the specific circuit.

QUESTION: HOW DO WE SUBMIT DOCUMENTS TO THE

COURT SUCH AS EXHIBITS AND COURTESY COPIES?

Exhibits can be dropped off at Ho‘okele, better known as the Service Center. After

April 25, 2022, courtesy copies will no longer be required in Family Court Civil cases

unless ordered by the court.

QUESTION: WILL COURTESY COPIES STILL NEED TO BE

SUBMITTED TO THE PRESIDING JUDGE IF A DOCUMENT

IS FILED SHORTLY BEFORE A HEARING?

Courtesy copies will not be required, but use your judgment especially if filing a

document late or at the last minute. The Judge will not receive an NEF for new filings

so will only see your late filing if the judge checks JIMS.

QUESTION: WHEN FILING MORE THAN ONE EXHIBIT

WITH A LEAD DOCUMENT, DOES EACH EXHIBIT NEED

TO BE FILED SEPARATELY?

The lead document should be the exhibit list and the exhibits should be filed together

as one supporting document.

QUESTION: OUR PROCESS SERVERS FILE THEIR SERVICE

DOCUMENTS AT COURT FOR US. WILL THEY HAVE

FILING ACCESS?

Process Servers hired by JEFS users cannot sign up to become JEFS users. They must

return service documents to the JEFS user for e-filing. Process servers and messengers

employed by JEFS users will not be able to file their documents at the courthouse.

QUESTION: AFTER A MATTER IS CLOSED (TERMINATED),

HOW LONG WILL IT BE AVAILABLE ON JEFS?

Closed cases in JIMS are referred to as terminated. Terminated cases are no longer

accessible from JEFS My Cases or All Firm Cases 90 days after the terminated date

or 30 days after the last filing, whichever is more recent. JEFS Manage Cases is NOT

a repository of all cases and is designed to assist in efiling for active cases and for

additional efilings of motions, appeals, requests for attorney’s fees, etc. for a short

period after the case has been terminated. You can submit a filing on a terminated

case at any time even if it is no longer accessible through JEFS My Cases or All Firm

Cases. Once you file on a terminated case, you will then be able to view the case for

30 days after this filing from My Cases and All Firm Cases. If you need to access the

documents in a terminated case, eCourt Kokua displays public cases and non-confidential documents may be purchased for a nominal fee.

Please see JEFS Family Civil FAQs for more information.

QUESTION: FOR THOSE OF US WHO WORK WITH

ASSISTING PRO SE PARTIES TO INITIATE CASES, CAN

YOU PLEASE GO OVER THAT PROCEDURE?

If you are assisting self-represented litigants (SRLs) in completing their court forms,

please continue to do so. Under the Hawaii Electronic Filing and Service Rules, SRLs

cannot initiate a case through JEFS. If you create a case in JEFS for a SRL instead of

having them conventionally file the initiating documents at the courthouse, you will be

a party on the case in JIMS. The vast majority of SRLs will continue to file their

documents conventionally at the courthouse.

QUESTION: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE CASES

CONSOLIDATED (E.G., FC-S, FC-A, FC-G). DOES THERE

NEED TO BE SEPARATE FILINGS IN EACH CASE?

While the Family Court holds consolidated case hearings, there are no consolidated

cases. Therefore, documents must be e-filed separately in each case/case type.

QUESTION: ARE CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENT LETTERS

"SENT" TO THE COURT VIA E-FILING AS WELL?

No. Confidential settlement letters should be delivered to the court conventionally via

postal mail or hand delivery to Ho‘okele.

For Second Circuit, settlement letters should be delivered to the 3rd Floor, Family

Court, Hoapili Hale, 2145 Main Street, Wailuku.

For Third Circuit, confidential settlement letters should be mailed or delivered to

Hale Kaulike, 777 Kilauea Avenue, Hilo, HI or the Keahuolu Courthouse, 74-5451

Kamaka’eha Avenue, Kailua-Kona, HI.

For Fifth Circuit, confidential settlement letters should be mailed or delivered to

Pu'uhonua Kaulike Courthouse, 3970 Ka'ana Street, Lihu'e, HI.

QUESTION: FOR GUARDIANSHIP CASES, HOW DO OUR

CLIENTS FILE THE ANNUAL REPORTS IF THE CASE IS

CONFIDENTIAL?

Private guardians shall send their annual report to the Court (via Ho‘okele or USPS mail),

Office of the Deputy Chief Court Administrator, attention Program Specialist, Ronald T.Y. Moon

Kapolei Courthouse, 4675 Kapolei Parkway, Kapolei, Hawai‘i 96707. The court staff will e-file the annual report.

Second Circuit users shall send their report to the Special Services Branch, Suite #206, 2145

Main Street, Wailuku, HI.

For Third Circuit Family Court cases, Private Guardian Reports may delivered or mailed to the

Hilo Family Court, 777 Kilauea Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720 or Kona Family Court, 74-5451

Kamakaeha Avenue, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740. Court staff will e-file the guardianship annual

reports.

For Fifth Circuit, annual reports may be mailed or delivered to Pu'uhonua Kaulike Courthouse,

Special Services Division, 3970 Ka'ana Street, Suite 301, Lihu'e, HI, 96766-1283.

QUESTION: WILL EX-OFFICIO FILINGS NO

LONGER BE NECESSARY?

Ex-Officio filings and the fees associated with them will no longer be necessary if the

documents are electronically filed through JEFS. However, if conventional filing is

needed (e.g., video evidence on a DVD), then ex-officio filings will still occur.

In most situations, for example, when an attorney who lives on Maui wants to file a

document in Land and Tax Appeal court located on Oahu, that attorney can do so

electronically in JEFS without incurring an ex-officio filing fee at the Wailuku

courthouse.

QUESTION: IF THE INFORMATION FOR MY CLIENT

IS INCORRECT, CAN I CORRECT IT?

Editing party information requires court staff intervention.

QUESTION: HOW DOES AN ATTORNEY GET

REMOVED FROM A CASE?

Only the court can remove or end date an attorney or party from a case. The

authorization required and removal process is dependent on the status of the case.

Please refer to the JEFS User Guide and HFCR 87.

QUESTION: ARE THE ATTORNEYS ABLE TO REOPEN A

CASE? FOR EXAMPLE, TO FILE A MOTION FOR POST

DECREE IN AN OLD CASE?

Attorneys may file on any Family Civil case regardless of its age or status in JEFS as

long as you have the case ID. The filing will not automatically re-open the case, but

Court staff will receive the filing and take appropriate action.

QUESTION: DOES THE JIMS/JEFS SYSTEM NEGATE THE

NEED FOR A CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE OR SENDING A

COPY TO OPPOSING COUNSEL?

Yes, because all attorneys are JEFS users and will receive Notices of Electronic Filing

(NEFs). If any party is not a JEFS user, a Certificate of Service would be required for

those parties.

MAHALO!