Inheritance Documents and Will Preparation

Working through inheritance documents and procedures, one step at a time

You may need to collect family registers (koseki), identify the heirs, or put an agreed division of an estate into writing. You may be planning ahead and want to make a will. We will ask about your family and the assets involved, then explain the support you may need and how to proceed.

Free initial 30-minute consultation. You do not need to have all the documents ready. Start by telling us what you know so far.

Request a free initial 30-minute consultation View fees

Choose what you would like to know

To learn who would handle your request, see our gyoseishoshi (Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Specialist) and office.

Find information that fits your situation

You do not need to know the name of the procedure. First, check whether any of the circumstances below apply and require you to confirm whom to consult.

This is general information, not a legal assessment of your individual case. This guidance alone does not determine who the heirs are, whether a will is valid, whether a filing is required, whether you can renounce an inheritance, or whether our office can accept your request.

If any of these circumstances apply

• There is a dispute over the division of the estate, or negotiation is needed: Consider consulting an attorney (bengoshi) first. A gyoseishoshi cannot represent heirs in negotiations or dispute resolution.
• You are concerned about debts, renunciation of inheritance, or a deadline: Seek advice promptly from an attorney for an assessment of your individual situation or representation, or from a judicial scrivener (shiho-shoshi) or another appropriate professional for preparation of documents to submit to the family court. The family court provides information about the procedure for renouncing an inheritance. Contacting our office does not extend a deadline or complete a declaration of renunciation to the family court.
• An heir who cannot be contacted, a minor, or a person whose wishes are difficult to confirm: The points to check differ in each situation. Family court or other procedures may be involved. First confirm who can participate in the procedure and how.
• Someone lives outside Japan, has foreign nationality, or assets are located abroad: What needs to be checked depends on nationality, place of residence, location of the assets, and the institution receiving the documents. You will need to confirm whom to consult and what assistance is available, including where foreign law or international tax matters are involved.
• Real estate is involved: Consider consulting a judicial scrivener or another appropriate professional for representation in inheritance registration, and a tax accountant (zeirishi) for individual tax advice or tax filings. If you are planning ahead, for example by making a will, the purpose is to identify who would handle procedures needed in the future.

If you are concerned about debts or renouncing an inheritance, consult an appropriate professional before proceeding with withdrawals, sales, vehicle scrapping, or similar actions. You can also refer to the courts’ guidance on renunciation of inheritance (in Japanese).

I do not know where to start or which option fits

You can begin by learning what to check and whom to consult. You do not need to finish researching everything before contacting us.

Read about the order of inheritance procedures and deadlines (in Japanese) See the support you can request

Six types of support for the help you need

We will identify the assistance needed and distinguish the work you ask us to handle from the steps you will carry out yourself.

I need to collect family registers or identify the heirs

We review the family registers you have and help collect the additional registers needed to investigate the family relationships relevant to inheritance.

Details of family register collection and heir investigation (in Japanese)

I want to put an agreed division of the estate into writing

We help prepare an estate division agreement based on what the heirs have agreed. We do not represent heirs in negotiations or in reaching that agreement.

Details of estate division agreement preparation (in Japanese)

I need a legal heir information chart

We help check the required family registers and other documents, prepare the legal heir information chart (hōtei sōzoku jōhō ichiranzu), and submit the request to the Legal Affairs Bureau.

Details of the legal heir information chart (in Japanese)

I need help with bank accounts in the deceased person’s name

We check the documents and procedures required by each financial institution. We also explain separately which steps you need to complete yourself, such as signing documents or dealing directly with the institution.

Details of inheritance procedures for bank accounts and related assets (in Japanese)

I want to change the registered owner of an inherited vehicle

We check the vehicle type and registration status, then explain the support available for preparing the documents and applications needed to change the registered owner.

Details of vehicle ownership changes (in Japanese)

I want to record my wishes in a will

We ask about your family, assets, and wishes, then explain the support available for preparing a handwritten will or a notarized will.

Details of will preparation support (in Japanese)

A clear scope of work and clear professional roles

Identify missing documents and where to make enquiries

Using the documents currently available, we identify what else needs to be checked and which institutions handle the procedures. You can contact us even if you do not yet know what to prepare.

Agree on the work before it begins

We confirm which tasks you want us to handle, such as collecting or preparing documents and making applications. We explain the scope and fees, and begin only after you have agreed to them.

Distinguish our work from that of other professionals

Legal disputes and negotiations, representation in real estate registration, and individual tax advice and filings require consultation with the appropriate attorney, judicial scrivener, tax accountant, or other qualified professional. We explain these separately from the document preparation and other support provided by our office.

References on professional roles: Gyoseishoshi federation: Wills and Inheritance (in Japanese); Judicial scrivener federation: Professional Services (in Japanese); National Tax Agency: Services of Tax Accountants (in Japanese).

Check the fees together with what is included and when additional charges apply

Fees for inheritance procedures and will preparation are calculated differently. We distinguish the basic professional fee, additional work, out-of-pocket costs such as obtaining certificates, and fees for other professionals.

Fees for inheritance procedures

The basic number of heirs is up to two. For each heir from the third onward, an additional JPY 33,000 (tax included) applies. The basic condition for real estate is up to two properties listed in an estate division agreement or similar documents.

Counting a property within this limit does not mean that representation in real estate registration is included in the basic professional fee. Please check the detailed fee information for the basic fee and other applicable conditions.

View inheritance fees and the scope covered (in Japanese)

Fees for will preparation

We explain preparation support and any options needed according to the type of will and your wishes. Please check the gyoseishoshi’s professional fee separately from out-of-pocket costs, such as notarial fees.

View will preparation fees (in Japanese)

Five stages from your enquiry to completion

1. Enquiry: Tell us what you are having difficulty with and what support you would like.
2. Review of your situation: We check the family relationships, documents, assets, and any deadlines that concern you.
3. Scope of work and estimate: We set out the work you would like us to handle and the costs you would pay.
4. Agreement and start of work: Once you have agreed to the terms, we carry out the work within the agreed scope.
5. Completion and report: We report on the work completed and the documents prepared.

Read more about the process

Gyoseishoshi 吉田雄介

The points to check in inheritance and will procedures depend on your family relationships and the assets involved. After listening to you and reviewing the documents, we explain, step by step, the work you can request, the costs, and what to check next.

Office

エールＺＥＡＬ国際行政書士事務所

Name

吉田雄介

Gyoseishoshi registration number

22130594

Address (in Japanese)

〒355-0811 埼玉県比企郡滑川町羽尾3874-1

Learn more about the gyoseishoshi and the office

Location and consultation arrangements

Our office is in Namegawa, Hiki District, Saitama Prefecture. If you would like to visit, please contact us in advance to discuss a date and time.

If you would prefer a visit to your location, communication by post, an online consultation, or another arrangement, please tell us where you live and what you would like to discuss. We will check which methods and scope of assistance are available.

View information about areas and consultation arrangements (in Japanese)

Questions before you contact us

Read about what you need to check

For an overview of inheritance procedures

If you are unsure where to begin, this article helps you organize the order of procedures and the deadlines to check.

Where to start with inheritance: procedures and deadlines (in Japanese)

To understand which family registers to collect

This article explains family registers covering birth to death and the documents to check according to the family relationships involved.

Which family registers are needed for inheritance? (in Japanese)

To understand who may be an heir

This article explains the order of heirs and the points to check for different family structures, including spouses, children, parents, and siblings.

Read about the order of legal heirs and inheritance shares (in Japanese)

Browse inheritance and will articles (in Japanese)

Tell us what you know about your situation

You may not know which procedure to request, or you may want help after starting to gather documents. Tell us, as far as you can, what you are having difficulty with and what assistance you would like.

You do not need to send identity documents or detailed information about your assets with your first enquiry.

Please tell us your preferred language. We will confirm whether we can assist in that language.

Request a free initial 30-minute consultation