PMK partnered with HUGS to sponsor a Dad’s Night Out on January 17th. HUGS is an organization that helps strengthen Hawaii’s families and improve their quality of life as they face the emotional and financial hardships of caring for a seriously ill child.
Thirteen Dad’s were treated to a fun night of DIY Yakiniku Night at the HUGS house. They shared great conversations about family, food and football. Mahalo to HUGS Dad, Toni for cooking the Korean BBQ. These events are very meaningful for our parents and allow them to share and support each other through their challenges. To learn more about HUGS, visit https://www.hugshawaii.org/
PMK partnered with HUGS to sponsor a Mom’s Night Out on January 10th. HUGS is an organization that helps strengthen Hawaii’s families and improve their quality of life as they face the emotional and financial hardships of caring for a seriously ill child.
HUGS Moms were treated to a relaxing and delicious dinner at Off the Wall Hawaii. The night was filled with cheers, conversation, and laughter, with a mixed group of both long-time and newcomer moms. To learn more about HUGS, visit https://www.hugshawaii.org/
PMK Senior Associate Seth Harris is passionate about family law
Family law attorneys often meet people during very emotional events in their lives, such as divorces or custody disputes. Such situations require steady, compassionate guidance. The opportunity to help clients through these difficult times is exactly what attracted Seth Harris to family law.
“You don’t have to just struggle through this experience and be lost,” said Seth, who joined PMK in 2017. “I feel strongly about helping my clients get through what can be a tough process. That’s a big part of what motivates me and why I continue to do this.”
Seth received his Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University and his law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. He has 20 years of experience practicing law, 14 of which are in family law, and built PMK’s family law practice from the ground up.
In his free time, Seth enjoys Kendo (Japanese Fencing) and has earned a 6th degree black belt. He is married with two children.
Contact: [email protected]
Divorce is complicated – both emotionally and legally. Unfortunately, it can get even thornier when there is finger-pointing.
Hawaii is a no-fault divorce state and has been so since 1972. Meaning that generally speaking, a judge won’t make any decisions regarding whether one spouse’s actions were right or wrong during the marriage.
Here in the Aloha State, the judge will grant the divorce if one party wants to end the marriage and says it is irretrievably broken. Therefore, the court will make custody decisions regarding what’s in the child’s best interest, how much and who pays alimony and child support, and how the property is divided independently of any morality issues such as adultery.
Among the advantages of no-fault divorce are the following:
- It’s simpler and provides more predictable and consistent outcomes
- If there is less conflict between the parties, it will be less stressful for children.
- Alimony and child support are based only on need and financial resources, rather than on inappropriate actions taken by one or both spouses.
Seth Harris, a senior associate at the PMK family law division, is available to assist you with divorce, and any other family law needs. Contact him at [email protected].
Tiffany Aukai joined PMK in May 2022 as an associate attorney specializing in the areas of community association law, construction litigation, and commercial litigation on Oahu and the neighbor islands. A graduate of the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law, she previously worked as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in the City and County of Honolulu and clerked for the Honorable Judge Matthew J. Viola of the First Circuit Court of Hawaii.
Tiffany pursued a career in law because of her passion to help others. Her father, who is a retired police captain on Maui, served as a role model.
“He really inspired my drive to work hard and to help the most vulnerable members of our community and his influence is mainly why I am an attorney today,” she said.
Tiffany became interested in real estate law in law school and continually finds it challenging and exciting, especially local issues such as affordable housing, contract issues, or what can wrong during the construction process.
“I had great professors who sparked an interest in the subject, and in Hawaii in particular, the real estate sector is constantly developing,” she said. “The more development we have, the more opportunity we have to solve problems.”
Currently, she is working on an article for the newsletter for the Hawaii Chapter of the Community Association Institutes about service animals and the difference between reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications under the Federal Housing Act.
In the future, Tiffany hopes to tackle constitutional issues in real property law, such as governmental involvement in zoning issues.
Tiffany grew up on Maui and now lives in Kaneohe. In her free time, she enjoys practicing yoga and spending time with her two-year-old daughter and her husband, who is also an attorney.
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