FAQ

October 31, 2016

What are some ways obtain a debtor’s address in Japan?

Having the address of a debtor in Japan is a prerequisite to filing a lawsuit against them.  Without an address, a complaint cannot be delivered to the defendant and the court will not have jurisdiction to hear the case.  Therefore, obtaining the debtor’s address is often the most critical part of enforcing a debt.  There are various ways to determine a debtor’s address but all are heavily dependent on the situation. 
October 28, 2016

Why is it better to hire an attorney for probate in Japan?

In Japan, either legal scriveners or attorneys are licensed to help probate the estate of a deceased by contacting heirs, creating an asset list and dividing property.  However, only attorneys are licensed to appear in court in Japan.  Therefore, if a disagreement arises during the probate process, it is always better to have an attorney involved to ensure that the heirs’ rights can be protected even in litigation.
October 26, 2016

How are complaints served in Japan?

  Many Americans are familiar with the job of a process server from American popular culture, where process servers are portrayed as employing disguises or other devious techniques in order to deliver a divorce petition.  However, while serving a complaint is the responsibility of the plaintiff in America, in Japan this job is handled by the court.  The complaint will be delivered based upon the defendant’s address provided by the plaintiff so, in cases where the address is old or inaccurate, this can make serving the defendant difficult.
October 24, 2016

Does the Japanese government provide any support for single parents?

Raising a child as a single parent is difficult for many reasons but one of the major hurdles is usually the economic strain of raising a child, or children, alone on a single income.  In order to ease the economic stress of single parents, the Japanese government offers single parents a Child Support Allowance.