Family Law

July 1, 2016

How are child support payments calculated in Japan?

The basic premise behind child support payments in Japan is to give the child a standard of living enjoyed by the parent with the obligation to pay child support.  These payments can either be determined by a government schedule or through a calculation.  Because court-ordered child support payments are based on a formula and are fairly easy to predict, it usually allows divorcing parties to agree on the amount of child support payments relatively quickly.
June 8, 2016

What is the Japan Central Authority?

The Hague Convention on International Child Abduction mandates that member countries establish or designate a Central Authority to handle cases brought under the Hague Convention.  As the actual work of enforcing the Hague Convention falls on the staff of each country’s Central Authority, these offices play an important role in ensuring the smooth and efficient cooperation between countries according to the rules of the Hague Convention.  In Japan, the Central Authority has been established in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
May 20, 2016

Does marrying a Japanese citizen automatically grant the spouse Japanese citizenship?

Simply marrying a Japanese citizen does not automatically grant Japanese citizenship to a foreign national.  Attaining Japanese citizenship must be done though the normal naturalization process.  While the naturalization process is somewhat easier for spouses of Japanese citizens, the naturalization application is quite time consuming and detailed.  In addition, there may be a waiting period of several years before the spouse can apply, depending on the circumstances.
May 2, 2016

Is it possible to apply to the Hague Convention from a non-signatory country?

The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is a treaty executed by over 90 countries around the world.  Like any other treaty, it binds the member countries to certain promises that must be upheld in relation to each other.  However, the Convention holds no power over countries that are not member States.  Therefore, applications cannot be made to or from countries that have yet to sign the Convention.