Emily Johnson's ConsultationCold Marital Relationship and Divorce: How to Divide AssetsEmily Johnson's Consultation

Consultation from: Emily Johnson (28 years old, from Canada, illustrator, annual income: 3.5 million yen, lives in Nerima, Tokyo)

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Emily: Hello, Eishin Law Office. My name is Emily Johnson. I am 28 years old and have been in Japan for 5 years. I work as an illustrator in Nerima, Tokyo. I married my husband Ken 5 years ago, but we do not have children.

Recently, my husband has been very cold and indifferent to me. He works as a teacher and earns about 5 million yen a year. In the beginning, we understood and supported each other, but now we hardly talk and I don't feel any connection as a couple.

Our relationship has become very distant, and I no longer see the point in continuing our marriage. I want a relationship where we can cherish and support each other, so I have decided to get a divorce.

However, I am worried about the divorce process and property division. I need advice on what to do and how to proceed.

Eishin Law Office, can you please help me? I want to make a better future for myself. Thank you very much.

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Example Response from Eishin Law Office

Eishin Law Office:

Hello, Emily. Thank you for sharing your story with us. We understand that you are going through a very tough time.

First, about the divorce process. In Japan, there are three types of divorce: mutual agreement, mediation, and court divorce. If you cannot resolve the issues with your husband through discussion, you can go to family court for mediation. If mediation doesn't work, you can proceed to court divorce.

Next, about property division. In Japan, assets gained during marriage are usually divided equally. We will help you calculate and divide the assets properly.

Please visit our office so we can explain the procedures and necessary documents in detail. We will provide the best advice for you.

Thank you, and we look forward to helping you.