Hawaii Designates Design Complaint Route

New Hawaiian Law Aims to Resolve Design Disputes in Paradise Out of Court.

Starting Jan. 1, 2008, clients with complaints against design professionals, from architects to landscape engineers, must first submit their claims to the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

Under the new law, malpractice claims against design professionals licensed in Hawaii must be submitted to the Design Claim Conciliation Panel program. The program is designed to resolve claims outside court and to discourage the filing of frivolous claims.

The Design Claim Conciliation Panel will assist clients in evaluating their claims against engineers, architects, surveyors or landscape architects and also to find ways to resolve disputes.