Hawaiʻi has one of the lowest divorce rates in the country, but for those who go through the process — it’s not pretty. In more than 60% of the cases, neither party has a lawyer. And in over 90% of cases, at least one party isn’t represented. This can make a difficult process even more challenging.
That’s why Bill Darrah began the “Divorce Law in Hawaiʻi” seminar in 2002. Over the past 23 years, the program has steered thousands away from litigation and toward mediation.
Hawaiʻi Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald recently recognized the success of the program with a proclamation celebrating the 300th seminar.
Darrah leads each of the sessions with Tracey Wiltgen, the executive director of The Mediation Center of the Pacific. They spoke with the Conversation to share a closer look at the process.
The next one-hour seminar will be held on Aug. 20. Both Darrah and Wiltgens will make themselves available after the seminar to answer questions from attendees.
This story aired on The Conversation on Aug. 13, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
