English-speaking lawyers in Shizuoka

Shizuoka Prefecture, between Tokyo and Nagoya, is home to English teachers, factory engineers and foreign spouses who rarely find legal help in English. An English-speaking lawyer in Shizuoka can explain what a Japanese contract or notice really says.

Typical issues include employment disputes and unpaid wages, visa status changes, divorce and child custody involving a Japanese partner, traffic accidents and tenancy deposits. Japanese lawyers are called bengoshi, and each one must belong to a local bar, here the Shizuoka Bar Association, and to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, which runs a public search. Routine visa filings are often done by gyoseishoshi, who are not lawyers and cannot argue a court case.

Proceedings are in Japanese, so documents need translation and the court arranges an interpreter in criminal cases. Ask whether the first consultation is charged by the half hour, as many offices do. English-speaking lawyers in Shizuoka are few, so contact more than one. Compare the firms below and contact them directly.