Hawaii Revised Statutes Division 3. Property; Family § 572C-2

The legislature acknowledges that there are many individuals who have significant personal, emotional, and economic relationships with another individual yet are prohibited by legal restrictions from marrying. For example, two individuals who are related to one another, such as a widowed mother and her unmarried son. Therefore, the legislature believes that certain rights and benefits presently available only to married couples should be made available to couples comprised of two individuals who are legally prohibited from marrying one another.