Short answer

In Hawaii, if more than a year has passed since a court allowed (approved) an estate accounting, you may still have limited options to challenge that approval, but your path is narrower. Typical paths include asking the court to reopen or set aside the allowance because of fraud, mistake, newly discovered evidence, lack of notice, or lack of jurisdiction. The court evaluates these requests under Hawaii probate law and equitable principles and will require strong proof and good cause for relief.

Detailed answer — step by step

1. Identify the order you want to challenge and the deadline history

First, get a copy of the court file entry that shows the accounting was filed and the order that allowed the accounting. Note the date the court entered the allowance order and whether there was a separate order of distribution or final discharge of the personal representative. Those dates control what relief might still be possible.

2. Check whether you previously received proper notice

Hawaii probate procedures require notice for accountings and for allowance hearings. If you did not receive required notice, the court’s allowance may be voidable for lack of due process. Find the proof of service or mailing in the court file. If notice was missing or defective, you have stronger grounds to ask the court to reopen the matter.

3. Consider the legal grounds to challenge the allowance after a long delay

Common grounds the court will consider after the objection period are:

• Fraud or deliberate concealment by the personal representative;
• Newly discovered evidence that could not have been found with reasonable diligence before the allowance;
• Mistake, clerical error, or material miscalculation in the accounting or the court’s order;
• Lack of jurisdiction — for example, the court lacked authority over the person or the estate (rare but dispositive);
• Failure to give proper statutory notice required for accountings and distributions.

4. File the correct petition or motion

You will normally ask the probate court to do one of the following:

• Reopen the estate or the accounting proceeding;
• Set aside the allowance order or the decree of distribution;
• Vacate or modify the court’s previous order under applicable rules of court or statutes.

Hawaii courts have equitable authority in probate to reopen or set aside prior orders where justice requires it. Your petition must explain the legal basis (fraud, mistake, newly discovered evidence, lack of notice, etc.), detail the facts, attach supporting evidence, and ask for specific relief (surcharge, removal of the fiduciary, restitution, re‑accounting, etc.).

5. Meet procedural requirements and timing

Even when more than a year has passed, many courts require prompt action once the moving party learns of the problem. The court will weigh delayed discovery and whether you acted with reasonable diligence after discovery. If the alleged fraud was concealed, courts are more likely to excuse delay when you petition promptly after discovery.

6. Proof standard and likely remedies

You must present convincing evidence. Typical remedies include:

• Ordering a new or corrected accounting;
• Surcharging (money damages against) the personal representative for losses caused by misconduct;
• Removing the personal representative and appointing a successor;
• Reversing distribution and returning assets to the estate for proper administration.

7. Defensive issues the court will consider

The court will weigh fairness to third parties who received distributions in good faith, potential prejudice from reopening the estate, and any applicable statutory protections. If legitimate purchasers or transferees received property, the court may limit relief or require restitution only from the fiduciary who committed the wrong.

8. Practical timeline and realistic expectations

Reopening and setting aside estate accountings after a long delay is possible but not routine. Courts prioritize finality in probate. Success depends on the strength of your factual showing and whether the court determines undoing prior action is equitable. Expect contested proceedings to take months and possibly longer, especially if the fiduciary contests the petition.

9. When creditor claims are involved

If your concern is an unpaid creditor claim or a claim that the personal representative failed to pay a valid claim, check the estate’s creditor claim procedures and any statutory deadlines. Creditors face short windows to present claims. If the estate closed improperly without notice to creditors, that can be a strong ground to reopen the estate.

10. Hire an experienced probate attorney quickly

Given the procedural complexity and the court’s emphasis on finality, consult a probate attorney in Hawaii as soon as possible. An attorney can evaluate the court file, draft the required petition, gather and authenticate evidence, and represent you at hearings.

For general statutory background, Hawaii uses a version of the Uniform Probate Code. See Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 560 (Uniform Probate Code):
https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol10_Ch0501-0588/HRS0560/

For practical probate forms and procedural guidance from the Hawaii courts, see the Judiciary’s probate self-help pages: https://www.courts.state.hi.us/self-help/probate.

Helpful Hints

• Act quickly after you discover a problem. Courts are less sympathetic to long unexplained delays.
• Obtain certified copies of the allowance order, accounting, distribution orders, and proof of service from the probate clerk immediately.
• Collect documentary evidence showing concealment, miscalculation, or missing assets (bank statements, transfers, correspondence).
• Identify potential witnesses early and preserve digital evidence (downloaded statements, emails, and text messages).
• Consider sending a formal demand to the personal representative before filing a petition — some matters settle without long litigation.
• Be realistic about remedies: courts balance correcting wrongs with protecting innocent recipients who received estate property.
• Ask whether alternative remedies (negotiation, mediation, third‑party recovery) could be faster and cheaper than full relitigation.
• Keep track of deadlines for creditor claims and any statutory time limits in Chapter 560 that may affect your situation.
• Document communication with the court clerk, parties, and fiduciary to show diligence in pursuing relief.