About Stacy

Descending from my great-grandparents who came to Hawaii to work on the sugar plantations in the late 1800’s, I was born and raised here as part of a large, extended family. I graduated from Moanalua High School, University of Hawaii, and University of Minnesota Law School. After law school I started my career in Guam, where I focused on Family Law cases.

I moved back home to Hawai’i in 2002, and in 2006, I co-founded the Children’s Law Center of Hawai’i, a law firm that focuses on the legal and best-interest needs of children in Hawaii.

I have been a family attorney specializing in child advocacy for over 20 years. During this time, I have witnessed the most amazing miracles and the most devastating tragedies. These tragedies can happen even when parents have good intentions behind their decisions.

No matter what my role, my sole focus is the children’s best interest, above all else. While I understand the suffering that parents go through, my responsibility is to advocate for the children who have no choice in the divorce. There will be times when to be fair to a parent would be unfair to the child. My role is to ensure that the best interests of the children are the foundation of my involvement with the family.

Visit the Children’s Law Center LLLC website

I work with families in a variety of roles and at all stages of a divorce or custody litigation. As a fact finder (a.k.a. custody evaluator), I come in at the beginning of the case to do an investigation and make custody recommendations to the court.

As a mediator, I come in at the middle of a custody dispute, usually the last stop before parents decide whether they will go trial. As a guardian ad litem, I can be appointed at various stages of the case to represent the children’s best interest. As a parenting coordinator, I come in after the custody agreement is made, to work with the parents to implement the terms of their decree or other court orders.

I hope to share what I have learned in my many years of working with Hawai’i families with you in this blog. I especially look forward to learning from you about your experiences.