Legal Fees
Consultation
We accept consultations by email only. Your first consultation is free of charge. From the second consultation, each reply from us costs ¥5,500.
Retainer and success fee
The retainer (paid at the start of the engagement) and the success fee (paid when the matter is concluded) are calculated on the economic benefit involved, with reference to the former fee standards of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.
| Economic benefit | Retainer | Success fee |
|---|---|---|
| Up to ¥3 million | 8.8% | 17.6% |
| Over ¥3 million, up to ¥30 million | 5.5% + ¥99,000 | 11% + ¥198,000 |
| Over ¥30 million, up to ¥300 million | 3.3% + ¥759,000 | 6.6% + ¥1,518,000 |
| Over ¥300 million | 2.2% + ¥4,059,000 | 4.4% + ¥8,118,000 |
- The rate for the applicable bracket is applied to the whole amount of the economic benefit.
- The minimum retainer is ¥165,000.
- Fees may be adjusted depending on the difficulty and complexity of the matter.
- Actual expenses (court stamp fees, postage, transport, copying, certificates, translation, etc.) are charged at cost.
- Daily allowance for attending court or travelling outside the office: ¥10,000 per occasion, or ¥30,000 per occasion outside the area of the Tsuruga Summary Court, plus actual travel expenses.
- Fees are charged in Japanese yen. Overseas bank transfer charges are borne by the client.
- Different standards may apply depending on the type of matter. We will explain the fees in writing before you engage us.
Terms for engagement by email
- Matters we handle: Japanese inheritance matters concerning property in Japan, such as renunciation of inheritance, division of the estate (negotiation, agreements and family court mediation), registration of inherited real estate, and the release of bank deposits and securities. We do not advise on the law or taxes of other countries.
- Fees: The types of fees, the amounts and how they are calculated are shown above. The retainer is payable by the date set out in the engagement agreement, and the success fee when the matter is concluded. Expenses and daily allowances are payable as they arise.
- Termination: You may terminate the engagement at any time. If the engagement ends before the matter is completed, the fees are settled according to the work done, as agreed between us; this may mean that all or part of the fees already paid is refunded, or that an additional amount is payable.
- Scope: If the matter later requires negotiation with other heirs, family court mediation or adjudication beyond the original scope, that further work is treated as a separate matter and the fees are agreed separately.