By Thomas Grande, esq. and Carl Varady, esq.
Settlement Payments to Deceased Class Members’ Heirs
Probate Special Master Emily Kawashima and Probate Special Counsel Scott Suzuki continue to carry out the court-approved Probate Plan, which entails petitioning the Probate Court to seek instructions about disbursing settlement payments to the heirs and devisees of Deceased Class Members.
As of February 14, 18 petitions were filed with the Probate Court, addressing the estates of approximately 500 Deceased Class Members.
Filed petitions are available on the www.kalima-lawsuit.com website under the “Documents” link. Information on hearing dates and the Deceased Class Members addressed in a particular petition is on the website and will be published in the Legal Notices section of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Probate Process
This Probate Process is expected to take about two years to complete. This process is intended to help assure that the settlement proceeds get to the correct people in the most efficient way possible.
It is time consuming because of the enormous amount of information needed and care required by the Probate Special Master, Probate Special Counsel, Probate Court, Circuit Court, Claims Administrator, Trustee, Special Master and Class Counsel. This is a unique service in a class action lawsuit and all reasonable efforts are being made to expedite payments. Please be patient.
More information about the probate process and how Deceased Class Members’ claims will be handled can be found on the website.
If You Have Questions
As a courtesy, Probate Special Master Emily Kawashima and Probate Special Counsel Scott Suzuki will be conducting a Talk Story to answer questions about the probate process on Monday, April 14, 2025, from 5:00-6:00 p.m. Please visit www.kalima-lawsuit.com for information on how to join the discussion by Zoom or telephone.
Questions regarding the contents of a Petition or Order should be addressed to your own attorney (if you have one), or to either the Probate Special Counsel or Probate Special Master.
If you have general questions (including payment status) contact the Claims Administrator at info@kalima-lawsuit.com or at 1-808-650-5551 or 1-833-639-1308 (Toll-Free). If you are only available at specific times, please include that information in your message.
