Inheritance Settlement
Losing a loved one is never a happy time. In Japan, inheritance procedures can quickly become complicated when the deceased is a foreign national. There are several documents, procedures, and other steps necessary to take care of settling an estate under Japanese jurisdiction.
For those living far away from the deceased, Japan’s inheritance procedures can be difficult and stressful because all documentation must be submitted in a particular way in Japanese. Non-resident heirs usually need to either visit Japan several times to settle the estate or leave it in the hands of relatives, often in both cases with little assurance whether everything has been done correctly. Without reliable and objective advice in matters of Japanese inheritance law, many end up with unsatisfactory results or worse, legal disputes among heirs.
Legacy Tomodachi offers various support for inheritance procedures involving foreign nationals in Japan. From creation of necessary documents, to initiating procedures to transfer assets, you can depend on us. Legacy Tomodachi is here to help you navigate Japanese inheritance procedures to conclusion.
Examples:
- Inheritance cases where the heir(s) live outside of Japan.
- Cases inside Japan where the deceased is a foreign national.
- Instances where the heir(s) cannot speak Japanese.
Legacy Tomodachi specializes in solving international inheritance procedures in a professional manner.
Please note:
In Japan, the scope of legal and tax services that professionals may handle is strictly defined by qualification type. Our office is a Judicial Scrivener (Shiho Shoshi) office specializing in registration-related services.
For matters outside our scope of practice—such as inheritance tax consultations or dispute-related cases—we will refer you, depending on the nature of your inquiry, to trusted affiliated attorneys or tax accountants who are able to assist in English or Chinese.
Last Will and Testament
A last will and testament is a legal document that gives an accurate description of all of your assets in addition to your intentions for their distribution to heirs.
The amount of time the Japanese inheritance process requires can differ greatly depending on the type of will that is left. When a foreign national passes away in Japan, generally there are several legal documents that must be submitted by all heirs in order to begin inheritance procedures.
Finalizing all of the necessary procedures to inherit real estate, bank accounts, etc. in Japan can take several months, and sometimes more than 1 year. If there is an heir who cannot be reached or does not cooperate with the inheritance procedures, the process stops.
There is a way to expedite the inheritance process through proper pre-planning of your legacy. For those who create a notary certified last will and testament, there is an expedited inheritance process that takes less time and requires less paperwork. This is possible because the details of all heirs, assets, and distribution are confirmed and certified by the notary public at the time of creation.
Legacy Tomodachi can help you create a notary certified last will and testament. Japanese notaries create certified wills in the Japanese language, which enables quick submission at family court in the event of inheritance, but can leave foreign nationals unsure whether their will has been reflected 100%.
We offer a full-service notary certified will creation system that starts with a conversation. Our members will create an original draft in English, Chinese or Korean, which will serve as the template for the Japanese certified document.
Legacy Tomodachi has will creation knowhow. Let us help you using decades of experience in international inheritance.
Contact Legacy Tomodachi today to learn more about how to create a last will and testament that effectively protects your legacy.