Yes, even in Hawaii, that tropical paradise, our family courts still have a long way to go. Fortunately, there are also good people there who are aware of the challenges facing protective parents and those good people are willing and able to help! This is from the AngelGroup website:
What is AngelGroup?
An umbrella organization for individuals or any group/organization that calls for accountability in Hawaii’s judiciary, social services and support services. AngelGroup provides information and resources to people navigating the legal and social system(s); supporting you as you’re called to deal with critical legal issues regarding divorce, child custody cases, domestic violence, etc. AngelGroup has heard far too many instances of legal incompetence and corruption throughout Hawaii’s family court system and the departments for social services. We are working to expose and correct these rampant abuses, including:
- Judges who legislate from the bench and pick a side, ignore the evidence and clear the docket
- Attorneys who fail to represent their clients for fear of judicial reprisal or in violation of ethics
- Child Welfare workers who legislate custody; refuse to recognize best interest of child(ren), and cover liability by issuing and/or supporting false blame
- Failure of Office of Disciplinary Counsel to hold attorneys accountable for violations of ethics, or investigate substantiated claims
- Failure of Commission on Judicial Conduct to investigate substantiated claims of Canon violations
- Failure of Office of the Attorney General to prosecute substantiated violations in Family Court, possibly to gain political advantage
Our goal, at this point in time, is to assist families and individuals who are having a difficult time navigating the legal and social systems, here in Hawaii.
Statewide, our system is known to be one of the most corrupt and you may be experiencing issues such as:
- Your attorney doesn’t do anything to help your case
- Your attorney yells at you and calls you names
- Your judge ignores evidence and disregards the law
- Social Services is drawing wrong conclusions and harming your child
- Office of Disciplinary Counsel doesn’t sanction lawyers who are in violation of ethics
- Commission on Judicial Conduct will not investigate violations of Canons
- Rights to “Due Process” are violated
- You can’t afford legal counsel
- You’re afraid and don’t know where to turn for help
AngelGroup is spearheaded by people who’ve experienced or observed the corruption in Hawaii’s legal system and social services. We don’t advocate whining about your current situation. We advocate consistent, proactive and pragmatic action, with avoidance of as many pitfalls as possible. What we’re resolved to do is change the legal landscape, achieving long-term change and potential correction for individual cases. This will result in fewer families and children being harmed.
Family Court in America 
Custody evaluators that are independent contractors are the real judges. The mom paid one around 10k and she made the report out for the mom lying about multiple facts, not interviewing my collaterals and omitting moms psych ward intakes. Custody evaluator also lied about what my daughter told her and she did not bring her notes, reports to testify on purpose even though she was supboenad to. Her testimony magically disappeared from record and court audio. Hawaii family court is disgusting and trafficking kids to highest bidder even if highest bidder is legally insane and abusive. My daughter has been stolen from me and is suffering at the moms even though i raised her while mom abandoned her at age 1. My girl needs me, please help anyone
Heather, im so sorry, same happend to me, raised my girl on own and the mom came out blue and got sole physical and legal custody even though she never took her to drs once. Mom is legally insane and in n out of psych ward. It all comes dwn to i was pro se cuz i didnt have 10k for retainer fee for lawyer and she is rich with money to buy custody evaluators, team of lawyers and judges. Economic biasness, hawaii family court is str8 trafficking children to highest bidder even if it means placing children with the psychotic schizofranic abusive parent. Heather and any body else experiencing this corruption can u guys drop sum names, lawyers, judges, custody evaluators, please so others can connect that had same characters
My ex husband took my son without my concent to Hawaii four year’s ago. We have since then divorced and he has custody of our son. But in the divorce paper’s it say reasonable visitiation agreed upon BOTH parties. He continues to shut me from speaking to my son atleast 2 to 3 times a year. How can I fight this with me living in South Carolina? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I dont think it’s right for this parent alienation for me or my son.
Listen to this one…after 18 yrs with my husband..sold two homes..moved my two girls then 6&9 yrs old.. now 26 & 30yrs.old…i was not allowed spousal support..no share in the profit sale if our home..the pro bono lawyer never objected to hearsay..as to preserve and have striked from record..and she gave forth her opinion of what she agreed with my ex to be marital debts. I walked away with nothing but the permission to half of his retirement. But i had to do it all myself.
Now my daughter is serving 10yrs at WCCC. I had her notorized document appointing me guardianship..but the same judge that put me in jail for a week(my ex falsely accused me) of domestic violence. I’ve NEVER hurt anyone! And my granddaughter’s dad’s lawyer are the same juge and same lawer i had in my divorce. They gave her to the dad despite active tro..cps case..and all his drug charges. He’s putting my baby up front as reasons he cant go to prison. I’m filing for visits and guardianship..but guess who’s the lawer and judge..again!!
After two years my daughter being incarcerated..aentenced to open ten for armed robbery..(estranged boyfriend denies its his gun) i had a notarized letter given to me rom my daughter stating her wishes. SHE WAS AWARDed SolE CUSTODY OF HER daughter twice before incarceration. she assigned me full legal and physical custdy of my now four yr old granddaughtet. When she left i had that document and was told i had time to file it with courts. There also was an active TRO protecting my granddaughter as the wSdomestic violence. He wS only alliwed supervised visits. Less than a month..despite TRO and document appointing me guardian..he was given his daughhter back. He has niw a firgsry charge..oromotion of a dangerous druv..deadly weapons and firgery charges and i been fighting for grandoarents visits. My venue being his ditness as a prent . I wS awarded and tday was our ffirat weekend. He said he was gonna bring her..no shiw..no call ni answer.. my granddaughter has nit heard her.moms voice in two years
Thank you for signing the petition! The letter sent to D.C. “movers and shakers” reads: “Hawaii Family Court System is in desperate need of reformative actions. This petition is to create a bill for legislature to protect Hawaii families from emotional and financial harm by the Hawaii Family Court system during divorce. Thousands of Hawaii children annually have their relationship with a fit parent destroyed each year due to delays by the Hawaii family court system with no laws available to enforce parent/child visitation. Hundreds of Hawaii families are forced to file for bankruptcy each year as a result of Hawaii Family Court system delays and no Hawaii laws or statutes to avoid unnecessary court delays. A Hawaii Revised Statute (HRS) mandating swift and immediate actions within specific time frames during the initial divorce hearing is desperately needed in the Hawaii Family Court system. An effective HRS will help prevent destruction of parent-child relationships and avoid financial devastation and additional emotional harm during divorces in Hawaii. Available family court system tools: Divorce mediation, settlement and family counseling must be ordered by the court during the FIRST INITIAL divorce court hearing and not be passively delayed until the devastating emotional and financial harm and damage is done months or years after a divorce petition is filed. The Hawaii Family Court orders mandatory family counseling, case mediation and settlement late in a case AFTER the parent-child bond is broken and the financial devastation and emotional harm has occurred. Hawaii attorneys who create delays in the Hawaii Family Court system later become judges via cronyism who further perpetuate the Hawaii family court culture of creating unnecessary delays, parent-child relationship destruction and family financial devastation. An HRS is needed to appoint Hawaii Family Court judges who were not trained as attorneys in the Hawaii Family Court culture of perpetuating delays to cause parent-child relationship destruction and family financial bankruptcy.”
Hi James, That’s a great petition. Is the content of the letter to state reps and the president the same as the text on the petition page?
Just a few good people in your state have been so successful mobilizing a coalition to match the power of Monsanto lobbyists. I’m sure your team will be as successful kicking the for-profit industry out of child custody cases there. the petition is a great petition. Will you please check the letter to see if the text is there? If not, can you please add the text to the letter so we can know the content of the letter we’re signing? 🙂
Please read, sign and share this petition to protect Hawaii families from becoming victims of the Hawaii Family Court system. Thank you.
https://www.change.org/p/barack-obama-harris-mcdowell-hawaii-state-senate-hawaii-state-house-gilbert-keith-agaran-karl-rhoads-ryan-yamane-justin-woodson-thomas-brower-ty-cullen-tulsi-gabbard-mike-gabbard-reform-hawaii-family-court-system?recruiter=409120063&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
Dear Heather,
I am so sorry to hear this happened to your family. During these past few decades, there seems to have been an intensification of the purposeful destruction of children and families in family courts in this country. The removal of children from one parent, sometimes called a “total parentectomy”, has been happening all over the country since the 1970s. Small groups of family court professionals consisting of certain judges, family law attorneys, custody evaluators, Guardians ad litem and directors of state offices – all following unapproved, unethical philosophies – purposely separate children from good parents because they can. The combination of absolute immunity for court workers and a total lack of oversight in the various family court systems enables the corruption that has been running rampant in family courts. The most effective strategy in these kinds of cases – and you have to have a strategy to fight it – has been to find other mothers and fathers who are victims of the same individuals who separated your child from you. Work together with as many parents as you can to uncover corruption that is usually already obvious. Look around this website to find others in Hawaii – type “Hawaii” in the search bar above – to find articles that might help you find others. Run a search of attorneys, custody evaluators, mediators etc. involved in your daughter’s case to find other parents who are victims of the same family court workers. If you and your daughter have never been abused or in danger, try to work with her father to help each other and your child. If there was domestic violence and/or abuse involved in your case, find others to help. You can contact Dara Carlin. She’s in Hawaii and will do her best to help or find others who can. Take care of yourself first. The oxygen mask on the airplane is there for you to put on first – then you can help those you love. Pray too. Pray for guidance. Ask what to do next. If you don’t get your answer right away, wait. You’ll know when you know.
I raised my daughter alone for ten years. My ex-husband took me to court for sole custody of our daughter. The Judge gave it to him, with no reason or cause. I am NOT allowed ANY CONTACT!
Another male cry baby lashing out against groups trying to protect women and children from men such as himself. Back in the day, a man took pride in caring for his partner and the children they bore together. Nowadays, it’s status quo to shirk that role and blame everyone around you. True to form, Chris.
The fundamental problem with Angel Groups agenda, is clearly their inability to the respect the value of both parents. The organization’s founding paradigm is that fathers have little or no value other than the cash that can be extorted from them. This underlying premise is their undoing and explains why this group has had no success in furthering their agenda at the Hawaii Legislature.
Kids have a fundamental right to the love, affection, companionship and protection of both parents.
This is a child’s right. It’s not about mommies or daddies when an adversarial competition with sleezy lawyers and know nothing judges who for the most part haven’t ever practiced family law.
In my opinion having spent 8 years writing legislation to reform the family court, when the premise of their organization reframes it’s agenda to supporting better parenting and sharing parenting time and collaborative solutions; they will gain traction. Until then they will simply be just another small organized group that whines about unfair practices and incompetences of the court system. Which will continue, as judges are beholding to the goodwill of attorneys when it comes to retention, not families or parents.