AI-assisted research summary: The court may appoint a guardian only if it finds clear and convincing evidence of incapacity and that less restrictive means will not meet the respondent’s needs. A guardian must send the appointment order and notice of the right to seek termination or modification within 14 days, and the court and data center must forward and maintain appointment information for law-enforcement use.
(a) The court may: (1) Appoint a limited or unlimited guardian for a respondent only if it finds by clear and convincing evidence that: (A) The respondent is an incapacitated person; and (B) The respondent's identified needs cannot be met by less restrictive means, including use of appropriate and reasonably available technological assistance; or (2) With appropriate findings, treat the petition as one for a protective order under section 560:5-401, enter any other appropriate order, or dismiss the proceeding. (b) The court, whenever feasible, shall grant to a guardian only those powers necessitated by the ward's limitations and demonstrated needs and make appointive and other orders that will encourage the development of the ward's maximum self-reliance and independence. (c) Within fourteen days after an appointment, a guardian shall send or deliver to the ward and to all other persons given notice of the hearing on the petition a copy of the order of appointment, together with a notice of the right to request termination or modification; provided that, for good cause shown, the court may extend time for the order and notice to be sent or delivered to the ward, or otherwise modify or waive that requirement. (d) [Subsection effective January 1, 2017.] The court shall forward to the Hawaii criminal justice data center all orders of appointment or information from all orders of appointment as requested by the Hawaii criminal justice data center, which in turn shall forward the information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or its successor agency, for inclusion in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System database. The orders of appointment or information shall also be maintained by the Hawaii criminal justice data center for disclosure to and use by law enforcement officials for the purpose of firearms permitting or registration pursuant to chapter 134. This subsection shall apply to all orders appointing a guardian of an incapacitated person without regard to the date of the appointment. [L 2004, c 161, pt of §1; am L 2008, c 39, §5; am L 2016, c 19, §2]