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 RSSHN Law Note: This is the first in what will hopefully be a series of articles related to Japanese law written by a local Nagoya attorney. In the event that you are involved in any legal problems, you should hold a consultation with a lawyer as soon as possible. If you hesitate to go see a lawyer, the situation may get worse, and you may not be able to take full advantage of your legal rights. However, you may not know any lawyers who can conduct a consultation in English. In that case, you can find a list of Japanese law firms at which you can discuss your legal problems in English on the U.S. Embassy's website. There are nine law firms in Aichi-Prefecture registered on the U.S. Embassy website. But please be careful because the U.S. Embassy does not guarantee the quality of service of these law firms. During your consultation, you should ask all the questions you have thoroughly, and if you are satisfied with the lawyer's answers and responses, then you should hire that person to help solve your legal problems. Regarding the consultation fee, the standard price is ￥5,250 (including sales tax) per 30 minutes. However, the price may vary between law firms, so it's a good idea to confirm the consultation fee in advance. Clients have the right to ask the lawyer's fee upfront, and it is not considered rude. If the lawyer does not explain about the fee clearly, you should stop consulting with him or her. Please be aware that lawyers in Japan do not usually specialize like lawyers in the U.S. do. Japanese lawyers handle all sorts of cases in a variety of fields. For example, I handle civil law, car accidents, company law, family law (such as divorce or inheritance), labor law, intellectual property rights, and so on. But in the event that you have a very particular legal problem such as one related to visa status, you should consult a lawyer who specializes in that field. In that case, I can refer you to a specialist. The important thing is to find the lawyer who can discuss legal matters in English and respond courteously.  If you have a general question about Japanese law that you would like to see answered on Hikan Ninja, please mail hikanninja at gmail dot com. If you are seeking legal advice and live in the Nagoya area, Mr. Kanamori can be reached at the email address above. Eric:Related to the topic of lawyers' fees, the lawyer you consult should tell you approximately how much the entire case will cost to resolve in advance. It is not customary to bill clients at an hourly rate, with the exception of large law firms that specialize in handling cases for or with international clients. add comment |