Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes > Chapter 353 > Part I - Administrative Structure, Institutions, and Services

• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• Administrative order: means the order resulting from an administrative adjudication by a hearings officer or the attorney general, through the agency, of the final disposition of a matter before the agency. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Agency: means the child support enforcement agency established by section 576D-2. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• Application: means a request under the Convention by an obligee or obligor, or on behalf of a child, made through a central authority for assistance from another central authority. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576B-701
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Arrearage: means past due child support under an existing court or administrative order. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Central authority: means the entity designated by the United States or a foreign country described in paragraph (4) of the definition of "foreign country" in § 576B-102 to perform the functions specified in the Convention. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576B-701
• Child support: means payment for the necessary support and maintenance of a child as required by law that includes but is not limited to spousal support when being enforced in conjunction with child support or medical support when a court or administrative order requires the debtor parent to pay an amount in lieu of providing medical insurance coverage or to reimburse for maternity and delivery expenses incurred when the debtor parent's child was born. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Committed person: means a person committed to the custody of the director of corrections and rehabilitation for imprisonment pursuant to chapter 706, including a probationer serving a term of imprisonment pursuant to section 706-624(2)(a) and a misdemeanant or petty misdemeanant sentenced pursuant to section 706-663. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 353-1
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Concurrent resolution: A legislative measure, designated "S. Con. Res." and numbered consecutively upon introduction, generally employed to address the sentiments of both chambers, to deal with issues or matters affecting both houses, such as a concurrent budget resolution, or to create a temporary joint committee. Concurrent resolutions are not submitted to the President/Governor and thus do not have the force of law.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Convention support order: means a support order of a tribunal of a foreign country described in paragraph (4) of the definition of "foreign country" in § 576B-102. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576B-701
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• county: includes the city and county of Honolulu. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-22
• Court: means the family courts of this State and, when the context requires, a court or agency of any other state having jurisdiction to establish, modify, and enforce support obligations. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Custodial parent: means a parent, guardian, or other person having physical custody of the child. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Department: means the department of the attorney general. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Department: means the department of corrections and rehabilitation. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 353-1
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Dependent child: means any person to whom a duty of support is owed. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Direct request: means a petition filed by an individual in a tribunal of this State in a proceeding involving an obligee, obligor, or child residing outside the United States. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576B-701
• Director: means the director of corrections and rehabilitation; provided that the signing or approval of vouchers and other routine matters may be delegated by the director to any authorized subordinate. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 353-1
• Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. ^Source:
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Duty of support: means any duty of support imposed or imposable by law, or by any court order, decree, or judgment, whether interlocutory or final or whether incidental to a proceeding for divorce, judicial separation, separate maintenance, or otherwise, and includes the duty to pay arrearages of support past due and unpaid. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Employee: means any person working for another for hire, including but not limited to, an individual employed in domestic service or at a family's or person's home or any individual employed by the individual's parent or spouse, or independent contractors. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Employer: means any person who uses or engages the services of any person in exchange for the payment of wages or other means of exchange, including the United States government, the State, and any political subdivision thereof, and anyone who is or shall become obligated for payment of income. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Extradition: The formal process of delivering an accused or convicted person from authorities in one state to authorities in another state.
• Fair Credit Reporting Act: A federal law, established in 1971 and revised in 1997, that gives consumers the right to see their credit records and correct any mistakes. ^{Source: OCC}
• Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Habeas corpus: A writ that is usually used to bring a prisoner before the court to determine the legality of his imprisonment. It may also be used to bring a person in custody before the court to give testimony, or to be prosecuted.
• Hearings officer: means a public official appointed and commissioned pursuant to § 576E-10. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• License: means any license, certification, registration, or permit issued by a licensing authority for recreational purposes, or to conduct a trade or business, including a license to practice a profession or vocation, or a license to operate any motor vehicle, boat, airplane, or helicopter. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Licensing authority: means any unit of the State or county government, including agencies, departments, boards, commissions, or authorities, or any other entity within the State or county authorized by statute to grant or deny licenses. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• month: means a calendar month; and the word "year" a calendar year. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-20
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Obligee: means any person to whom payments are required to be made under the terms of a court or administrative order for child support, or child support and spousal support. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Obligor: means a responsible parent obligated by court or administrative order to pay child support. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Office: means the office of child support hearings established pursuant to § 576E-10. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Order of support: means a judgment, decree, or order, whether temporary, final, or subject to modification, issued by a court or an administrative agency of competent jurisdiction, for the support and maintenance of a child, including a child who has attained the age of majority under the law of the issuing state, or a child and the parent with whom the child is living, which provides for monetary support, health care, arrearages, or reimbursement, and which may include related costs and fees, interest and penalties, income withholding, attorney's fees, and other relief. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Party: means each person or agency named or admitted as a party, or properly seeking and entitled as of right to be admitted as a party, including but not limited to the custodial parent and the responsible parent. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
• Pretrial services officers: Screen applicants for pretrial release and monitor convicted offenders released under court supervision.
• Probate: Proving a will
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public assistance: means any cash paid or medical assistance provided by the department of human services to or for the benefit of any dependent child, including amounts paid to or on behalf of the child's custodian. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Responsible parent: means any person who does not have physical custody of the child and who has a legal duty of support. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Spousal support: means a legally enforceable obligation assessed against an individual for the support of a spouse or a former spouse who is living with a child or children for whom the individual also owes support. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Support order: means an obligation determined by a court or duly authorized administrative agency, for the maintenance of a dependent child, which is owed to or on behalf of the child, or to the parent or custodian with whom the child is living. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trust account: A general term that covers all types of accounts in a trust department, such as estates, guardianships, and agencies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Uniform statewide procedures: means a written set of instructions prepared by the agency which describe step by step actions to be taken by agency personnel in the performance of duties under this chapter. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 576E-1
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.