Divorce Solutions

Question #57

FOREIGN DIVORCE I am a Japanese citizen who was married to an American citizen. We got married in Japan 6 years ago, registered in Japan first then registered at city hall in New York as well afterward. With mutual agreement, we filed for divorce last year in Japan since I resided in Japan already after a year of separation. In Japan, we can do uncontested divorce, just us signing a sheet of paper without a lawyer when there’s no children or assets. My question is, even I have a Japanese divorce paper notarized by the US Embassy, do I still have to get divorced in New York since we were registered in New York as well? I found out later that our registration of marriage in New York wasn’t necessary since we were already married in Japan through the US Embassy. For your information, I live in Japan now, and my ex lives in New York. Are we still married under New York law? If we are, can we just send NY City Clerk a letter that we are divorced in Japan with proof of Japanese divorce paper? Please give me any advice. Thank you very much.

New York State recognizes foreign divorces. Unless either of you contest the divorce, New York will accept it. You do not have to do anything in New York.
If you wish to remarry in the US, you can provide the county clerk’s office in the jurisdiction you are seeking to remarry a certified copy of your divorce with the US Embassy notarization.
Leonard M. Weiner, Esq./Divorce Solutions