“Legal Needs” of the Parties in Divorce Cases in Japan
“Legal Needs” of the Parties in Divorce Cases in Japan

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents how parties to divorce deal with their problems in Japan. It is based on the results of the Disputing Behaviour Survey (2005) and qualitative interviews conducted as a part of its follow-up research in 2006-2008. The findings indicate that there is a mismatch between theory and reality of the “legal needs” of divorcing parties, particularly in terms of accessibility and use of legal avenues for problem solving. The reasons for not using legal services may vary: because of the nature of problem (“family matters”) there may be more risk of invasion of privacy; disputants may feel awkward; they may know little about how to access legal assistance.

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