The Hague Convention (Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction)　

For information about Lawyer Referral Service for Hague Convention cases by Japan Federation of Bar Association, refer to this website.

For more details, contact the Central Authority of Japan by email or telephone.

Under the Hague Convention, you may use the legal aid system for filing a petition with the courts in Japan for return of, or contact with, a child. The legal aid system of Japan offers a loan without interests that covers expenses including attorney fee, interpretation fee, and translation fee. Loans can normally be repaid in installments. To be eligible for the scheme, some requirements such as income levels must be met.
The legal aid system is operated by Japan Legal Support Center (JLSC).
For more details, visit the website of Japan Legal Support Center (JLSC).

• URL: For Foreign Nationals

Documents submitted to the courts in Japan must be presented in Japanese language. Accordingly, you need to translate all submitted documentary evidence and other relevant documents in foreign languages into Japanese when filing a petition for Return of Child or Conciliation (Adjudication) for Contact with Child. The Central Authority of Japan provides assistance in the translation of documentary evidence and other relevant documents into Japanese by a translation agency at no charge, subject to budget availability.

You are eligible for Translation Services if you:

1. have received a Decision for Assistance by the Minister for Foreign Affairs with regard to Return of Child to a Foreign State, or Contact with Child in Japan, and intend to file a petition with a Japanese court for Child’s Return or Conciliation (Adjudication) for Contact with Child, or
2. are a party to the case filed by the petitioner mentioned in 1. above.

For further information, contact the Central Authority of Japan by telephone or email.

If you would like to contact the Central Authority of Japan to process or discuss your client’s case, you need to submit a Power of Attorney signed by your client to the Central Authority.

• Sample Power of Attorney: Japanese (PDF) , English (PDF)