Overview
- Japan’s revised Civil Code, which took effect Wednesday, lets divorcing parents choose joint or sole custody and allows already-divorced parents to petition to change past arrangements.
- Under joint custody, parents make big choices together, such as schooling and where a child lives, while either parent can decide daily matters or act in emergencies.
- When couples cannot agree, family courts will decide based on the child’s interests and will grant sole custody in cases that meet the court’s domestic-violence standard.
- A new child support floor also began, letting the parent who lives with the child claim at least ¥20,000 per child each month and collect up to ¥80,000 per child per month ahead of other creditors if payments go unpaid.
- Backers say the change reduces incentives for parental abduction and keeps both parents engaged, while survivors warned at a Tokyo rally that courts often miss psychological or financial abuse and that joint custody could force contact with abusers.