Based on an ethnographic survey by observation and interview in French Guiana, this article focuses on the relations between Amerindians and Maroons (or Businenge) and state justice in family matters (separation, delegation of parental authority). First, it considers the various intermediaries involved in the mediation of judicial institutions with these groups, in particular the social workers engaged in the allocation of social benefits. It then analyzes the social logics of non-recourse to state judicial authorities with regard to alternative ways of dealing with these family situations and the difficulties of access to justice.