For Individuals
Divorce & Child Custody
Are you married to a Japanese national, but having problems? Perhaps you’re considering divorce. Or, if you’ve already decided a divorce is necessary, you and your Japanese ex-partner will have to decide who has parental authority (child custody rights) and how much child support needs to be paid, how the division of property and assets will work, if one or both of you have to pay consolation money, how to hire a divorce lawyer, etc.
Divorce isn’t easy, and getting divorced in a country that isn’t your own is even harder. This is especially true if you don’t speak enough Japanese to navigate a divorce legally. If you’re living in Japan on a spouse visa, perhaps you’re concerned about what happens to your visa after divorce and whether you’ll be allowed to stay in Japan. Divorce in Japan may be nothing like what you knew at home. Make sure you’re getting good legal advice from a skilled attorney that can help you in English.
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In Japan, there are four methods of divorce: divorce by agreement, divorce by mediation, divorce by decision of the family court, and divorce by litigation. For more information on each type of divorce and which is the right one for you and your spouse, please click here.
Japan is a signatory nation of the Hague Convention on Child Abduction, so rest assured that your worries in relation to child custody and legal rights will be taken very seriously. For information about child support, visitation rights, and child abduction, please click here.
This page is intended to be used for informational purposes only and should not be a substitute for obtaining professional legal advice.