Hawaii Revised Statutes
571. Family Courts
571-50 Modification of decree, rehearing.

§571-50 Modification of decree, rehearing. Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, any decree or order of the court may be modified at any time.
At any time during supervision of a child the court may issue notice or other appropriate process to the child if the child is of sufficient age to understand the nature of the process, to the parents, and to any other necessary parties to appear at a hearing on a charge of violation of the terms of supervision, for any change in or modification of the decree or for discharge. The provisions of this chapter relating to process, custody, and detention at other stages of the proceeding shall be applicable.
A parent, guardian, custodian, or next friend of any child whose status has been adjudicated by the court, or any adult affected by a decree of the court, at any time may petition the court for a rehearing on the ground that new evidence, which was not known or not available through the exercise of due diligence at the time of the original hearing and which might affect the decree, has been discovered. Upon a satisfactory showing of this evidence, the court shall order a new hearing and make any disposition of the case that the facts and the best interests of the child warrant.
A parent, guardian, or next friend of a child whose legal custody has been transferred by the court to an institution, facility, agency, or person may petition the court for modification or revocation of the decree, on the ground that the legal custodian has wrongfully denied application for the release of the child or has failed to act upon it within a reasonable time, or has acted in an arbitrary manner not consistent with the welfare of the child or the public interest. An institution, facility, agency, or person vested with legal custody of a child may petition the court for a renewal, modification, or revocation of the custody order on the ground that the change is necessary for the welfare of the child or in the public interest. The court may dismiss the petition if on preliminary investigation it finds the petition without substance. If the court is of the opinion that the decree should be reviewed, it shall conduct a hearing on notice to all parties concerned, and may enter an order continuing, modifying, or terminating the decree.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section the court's authority with respect to the review, rehearing, renewal, modification, or revocation of decrees, judgments, or orders entered in the hereinbelow listed classes of proceedings shall be limited by any specific limitations set forth in the statutes governing these proceedings or in any other specifically applicable statutes or rules. These proceedings are as follows:
(1) Annulment, divorce, separation, and other proceedings under chapter 580;
(2) Adoption proceedings under chapter 578;
(3) Paternity proceedings under chapter 584;
(4) Termination of parental rights proceedings under this chapter; and
(5) State hospital commitment proceedings under chapter 334.
A decree, judgment, or order committing a child to the care of the director of human services shall be reviewable under this section at the instance of others other than duly authorized representatives of the department only after a lapse of thirty days following the date of the decree, judgment, or order, and thereafter only at intervals of not less than one year.
Notwithstanding this section the court shall not conduct a rehearing of any petition, filed under section 571-11(1), which, following a hearing, has been denied or dismissed. [L 1965, c 232, pt of §1; Supp, §333-26; HRS §571-50; am L 1976, c 85, §13; am L 1980, c 232, §28; gen ch 1985; am L 1990, c 34, §16; am L 1995, c 189, § §13, 26; am L 1998, c 133, §5]
Rules of Court
Reconsideration, see HFCR rule 59.

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