Background
K.M. is a petitioner who litigated against the Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) in Hawaiʻi’s Third Circuit Family Court (Case No. 3FAL-22-0000002). After an adverse outcome below, K.M. appealed to the Intermediate Court of Appeals (ICA), which issued a decision under docket CAAP-24-0000310. K.M. then sought further review by filing an Application for Writ of Certiorari with the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court on May 4, 2026.
The underlying facts and legal issues in dispute are not described in this order. The full merits of the case — involving CSEA, a state agency responsible for establishing and enforcing child support obligations — remain to be briefed and decided by the Supreme Court.
The Court’s Holding
This order does not decide the merits of the case. The Supreme Court of Hawaiʻi, in a brief procedural order signed by Chief Justice Devens and Justices McKenna, Eddins, Ginoza, and Circuit Judge Cataldo (assigned by reason of vacancy), simply accepted K.M.’s Application for Writ of Certiorari. The court will now review the ICA’s decision.
The court also ordered that no oral argument will be held unless a party moves for retention of oral argument within ten days pursuant to Hawaiʻi Rules of Appellate Procedure Rule 34(c).
Key Takeaways
- This is a certiorari grant order only — no substantive ruling has been issued on the dispute between K.M. and the Child Support Enforcement Agency.
- The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court will review the Intermediate Court of Appeals’ prior decision in CAAP-24-0000310.
- Oral argument is provisionally waived; parties have ten days to move for retention under HRAP Rule 34(c).
Why It Matters
This entry is a placeholder for a case still in progress. The acceptance of certiorari signals that the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court found the petition worthy of review, but no legal standards have been altered and no rights finally adjudicated. Attorneys following CSEA enforcement matters or family court appeals should monitor this docket for the eventual merits decision.
Note: Because the document provided is solely an order granting certiorari review, no merits analysis, factual background, or legal holdings can be reported at this stage. This summary will require updating once the Supreme Court issues its opinion on the merits.