Why preparation changes the meeting
A recognition case for a Japanese divorce is a documentary case. Nothing about it turns on how the marriage felt or who was at fault; it turns on dates, citizenship, and paper. That means a lawyer meeting you cold spends most of the time simply establishing facts you already know — and the useful part, the part you are paying for, gets squeezed into the last ten minutes. Bring the six items below and the meeting starts where it should: with whether you qualify, what your particular case is missing, and what it will take.
1. The timeline of the marriage and the divorce
Write it out as plain dates before you come. When and where you married, including the city or municipality whose civil registrar recorded it — that office determines a great deal about the case later. When you moved to Japan. When you separated in fact. When the divorce was processed, and at which city hall or ward office, or before which court or mediation body. Approximate dates are workable if you say they are approximate; confident wrong dates are not, because they send the search for documents to the wrong office.
2. The citizenship of each spouse on the date of the divorce
This is the dispositive fact, and it is the first thing we will ask. Article 26, paragraph 2 of the Family Code is an exception written for a marriage between a Filipino and a foreigner, and the citizenship that counts is the citizenship each of you held when the divorce was obtained — not at the wedding. Two situations need special care. If both of you were still Filipino citizens at the time of the divorce, recognition is not the remedy at all; read why recognition is not available to two Filipinos. If either of you had naturalized, reacquired Philippine citizenship, or held both, the timeline decides your case — see dual citizens and the citizenship timeline. Bring whatever shows the change: naturalization records, a Japanese passport, an identification certificate, an oath of allegiance.
3. The Japanese documents you already hold
List what is physically in your possession or in your family's, even if it is a photocopy, even if you cannot read it. The usual candidates are the certificate of acceptance of the divorce notification, a divorce certificate from the Japanese Embassy or a Philippine post, and copies of the koseki or family register. Also note which are originals, which are translated, and which carry an apostille. What you already hold determines what still has to be requested from Japan and how long that will take. The full picture is on the document checklist.
4. Your PSA records
Request a PSA copy of your marriage certificate and of your birth certificate before the consultation if you can. Two things get checked: whether the marriage appears in the PSA database at all, and whether the record already carries any annotation. Both answers change the plan. Also mention any discrepancy you have noticed over the years — a misspelled name, a wrong middle initial, a different date — because registry mismatches are dealt with far more cheaply before filing than after.
5. Where you are, and who can act for you
Say plainly whether you are in Japan or in the Philippines, and how long you expect to stay there. If you are abroad, the case is normally run through counsel and an attorney-in-fact under a Special Power of Attorney executed and apostilled in Japan — the mechanics are on filing from Japan without flying home. Come with a name in mind: a sibling, a parent, a trusted relative in the Philippines who can be present when presence is required.
6. What you actually want out of it
People come to this case for different reasons, and the reason shapes the strategy. If you intend to remarry, the target is a final, annotated PSA record and a realistic date. If property, inheritance, or a business is involved, the case has consequences that need to be mapped alongside the petition. If you simply want your civil status to reflect the truth, the case is narrower and the sequence is what matters. Say which one you are, and say it early.
What the meeting itself covers
With those six in hand, we can tell you whether Article 26(2) covers your situation, what the honest gaps in your evidence are, roughly how long the process should run, and what it should cost — the ranges are set out on the cost page. You will not get a guarantee of outcome from this office; you will get a straight assessment. When you are ready, book a consultation and bring your list.
Frequently asked questions
What if I do not have any of the Japanese documents yet?
Come anyway. Most clients start with nothing but a memory of the city hall visit. The purpose of the first meeting is to identify exactly which documents your particular divorce generated and who can request them, so you spend your effort on the right requests instead of guessing.
Why does the citizenship of each spouse matter so much?
Because it decides whether recognition is available at all. Article 26, paragraph 2 of the Family Code applies to a marriage between a Filipino and a foreigner. If both of you were still Filipino citizens on the date of the divorce, the remedy is annulment or declaration of nullity, not recognition.
Is the consultation free?
No. Consultations are paid, at PHP 3,500 per our published legal fees. In return you get a direct reading of your own facts, an honest assessment of the weak points, and the document list your case actually needs, rather than general information you can read on this site for free.
Can we do the consultation while I am still in Japan?
Yes. Many of our recognition clients are in Japan for the whole case and never fly home for it. Have your documents scanned and readable before the call, and be ready to discuss who in the Philippines could serve as your attorney-in-fact.