TL;DR: Japan’s 2024–26 family-law reforms tighten child-support enforcement with statutory liens, salary-garnishment orders and a new automatic-payment system. They also streamline visitation mediation and introduce fines for visitation obstruction. Success will hinge on court capacity and accurate income disclosure. Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Strengthening Child-Support

TL;DR: Japan’s 2024 family-law reform lets divorcing parents choose joint parental authority, keeps a safety valve for domestic-violence cases, and clarifies how joint decision-making works. Courts will still rule case-by-case, but the shift moves Japan closer to global norms and forces employers, schools, and courts to update policies

TL;DR: Japan’s 2024 family-law overhaul ends mandatory sole custody, lets parents choose joint parental authority, toughens child-support enforcement with statutory liens and “automatic” minimum payments, and expands tools for visitation. Full roll-out by mid-2026 will reshape divorce practice, court workloads, and workplace policies for parents. Table of Contents