What to do after the divorce is finalized

Certificate of Divorce Absolute

After the divorce nisi period is over and the divorce becomes final, you can request a divorce
decree (“Certificate of Divorce Absolute”) from the court which granted your divorce.

You won’t receive a divorce decree from the court automatically after the divorce is final.

You need to complete the Request for Copies form and bring the form and payment to the
courthouse where you had your case. You can also mail it to them.

Divorce Registration at Japanese Consulate

If the divorce petitioner is a Japanese citizen, they must submit the Divorce Registration to a
Japanese Consulate within three months from the date the divorce is finalized. They must
also submit the Divorce Report, Family Registry (Koseki Tohon), Final Judgements issued by
the court, and the translation form of the final judgment (English to Japanese).

If the divorce petitioner doesn’t submit them to the Japanese Consulate within 10 days of the
divorce date, the respondent can do so.

Registration to Revert to Maiden Name Due to a Divorce from a Foreign Citizen

If you changed your name to your foreign spouse’s last name and want to revert to your
Japanese maiden name, you must submit the appropriate registration form to the Japanese
Consulate within three months of the divorce date. After this deadline, you must go to the
Family Court in Japan to revert to your maiden name.

If you need more information about divorce laws outside of Massachusetts, please refer to
the link: https://www.womenslaw.org/laws