CHILD SUPPORT HEARINGS OFFICE SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITIONS TO VIRTUAL HEARINGS

News Release 2025-56 from Department of the Attorney General,  April 23, 2025

HONOLULU – The Department of the Attorney General Office of Child Support Hearings (OCSH) has successfully transitioned to conducting administrative hearings almost exclusively by video conference, as part of the department’s efforts to modernize operations.

Child support disputes are addressed by way of an administrative hearings process with hearings officers. In December 2024, OCSH began conducting administrative hearings via video conference. This transition entailed a phase-out of telephone hearings which were initially implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“OCSH endeavors to resolve child support disputes fairly, impartially and expeditiously, in accordance with its mission statement,” said OCSH Supervisor Tom Tanimoto. “The transition was seamless, given the tireless efforts of all those who assisted in the project. Using video conferencing more closely mirrors in-person proceedings while still affording participants the convenience of attending remote hearings.”

To ensure accessibility and ease of use, step-by-step user guides for both smartphone and desktop applications, as well as other hearing related forms are available on the OCSH website. Additionally, a telephone call-in option is available for individuals who may not have a computer or smartphone. Participants may request the assistance of a foreign language translator or other accommodation on a case-by-case basis.

OCSH serves an important role by efficiently resolving child support matters concerning the establishment, modification and termination of child support, as well as the determination of child support arrearages and other related matters. OCSH hearings are different from family court proceedings in that they focus on child support matters and usually involve parties who are not represented by counsel. Generally after each hearing, the presiding hearings officer will issue an oral decision and a written order will follow. Orders issued by hearings officers are filed with the family court without further review and have the same force and effect as orders issued by family court judges.

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