Hawaii Summons In A Civil Action is a legal document issued to a defendant or respondent, requiring them to appear in court and answer a complaint filed by a plaintiff. It is also referred to as a “summons and complaint”, and is the first step of a civil lawsuit in the state of Hawaii. There are three types of Hawaii Summons In A Civil Action: a Summons by Publication, a Summons by Sheriff, and a Summons by Deputy Sheriff. A Summons by Publication is used when the defendant is unknown or cannot be found, and requires the plaintiff to publish a notice of the summons in a newspaper or other public forum. A Summons by Sheriff requires the sheriff to personally serve the summons on the defendant, while a Summons by Deputy Sheriff requires the deputy sheriff to serve the summons.