Choosing the right kind of legal support
What specialist legal advice offers, where general resources fall short, and how different approaches suit different situations.
Back to homeWhy comparison matters
Different needs call for different approaches
Someone who needs to check whether a single clause is standard has different requirements from a founder establishing a company for the first time. A comparison is useful because it clarifies what each option actually provides — and what it does not. This page sets out three common approaches to legal questions in Japan, without suggesting that one is always right.
The purpose here is not to argue for any particular choice. It is to give you enough information to identify which approach matches your situation.
Approaches compared
Three ways to address a legal question
| Consideration | Online resources & templates | Large general practice firm | Chigiri — specialist practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction accuracy | Templates are often written for other jurisdictions and may not reflect Japanese law or current regulatory requirements. | Generally accurate, though team structure means advice may pass through several hands before reaching you. | Advice is given directly by the practitioner handling the matter and is specific to Japanese civil and commercial law. |
| Cost structure | Low upfront cost, but errors in documentation can produce costs that exceed what a review would have involved. | Hourly billing is standard. Total cost often difficult to estimate at the outset. | Fixed fees for each service, stated before work begins. No hourly accumulation. |
| Language | English-language resources often do not account for Japanese regulatory context. Japanese-language resources may be inaccessible to non-Japanese speakers. | Varies by firm. English capability is not universal and may attract additional fees. | Work is conducted in English or Japanese. Documents can be prepared in either language at no additional charge. |
| Written explanation | Templates provide the document but not an explanation of what it means or what obligations it creates. | Advice is typically given in the document or by email. Plain-language summaries are not standard. | A plain-language written summary accompanies every piece of work, separate from the formal document. |
| Suitability for smaller matters | Reasonable for very simple, standard situations where the document is genuinely comparable to the template. | Minimum engagement costs can make smaller matters disproportionately expensive. | Fixed fees are set with smaller and medium-sized matters in mind. An initial consultation confirms whether formal work is warranted at all. |
Distinctions
What a specialist practice does differently
Scope is defined in advance
Before any work begins, the scope, fee and expected timeline are put in writing. There is no ambiguity about what has been agreed or what the cost will be.
Honest assessment of viability
Where a matter does not warrant formal legal action, that assessment is given plainly. Where it falls outside the areas handled here, a referral is provided.
One point of contact throughout
The practitioner who assesses your matter at the initial consultation is the same person who carries out the work. Instructions are not passed between departments.
Designed for those without in-house counsel
The practice is structured for individuals and for companies that do not have a legal department. Explanations are given at the level of detail that is useful, not at the level assumed by a professional reader.
Effectiveness
How outcomes differ across approaches
Template documents
Suitable when the situation is genuinely standard and all parties are of equal sophistication. When one party has been advised and the other has not, the document tends to favour the advised party.
General practice firm
Broad capability across many areas of law, which is useful when a matter involves multiple legal domains. The cost model and minimum engagement thresholds can be a constraint for smaller matters.
Specialist practice
Depth in a defined area rather than breadth across all. For civil, corporate and property matters in Japan, a practice focused on those areas is better placed to identify what is and is not standard in this context.
Cost and value
Thinking about the investment
The cost of legal advice is most usefully compared not with the fee itself but with the cost of the situation it is meant to address. A contract review at ¥33,000 is a modest outlay relative to a dispute over terms that were not properly understood at the time of signing.
The fixed fees at this practice are set so that an individual or a small company can make a clear decision about whether instruction is appropriate, without needing to estimate an hourly bill. The initial consultation at ¥14,000 exists partly for this reason: it is a defined cost that produces a clear account of your position and what, if anything, should follow.
Where the consultation concludes that no further work is necessary, that finding is documented and provided in writing. The fee covers the assessment itself, not a recommendation to proceed.
The experience
What working with a specialist practice involves
What you describe
Your situation in ordinary language. You do not need to know the legal category of your problem before making contact. Part of the initial consultation is to identify what kind of matter you are dealing with.
What you receive
A written account of the applicable rules, your options and the likely cost and duration of each. You are not asked to commit to anything further during the consultation.
How long it takes
Contract review: five working days. Corporate formation: four to six weeks to registration. Timelines are provided in writing and updated if circumstances change.
After completion
A written summary of what was done and what was decided. Questions arising directly from the completed work can be directed by email without incurring a new consultation fee.
Lasting effect
Beyond the immediate matter
A contract that has been properly reviewed and returned with a plain summary of its terms is one you can refer to later. The written summary exists separately from the formal document so that you can consult it without needing to re-read the legal text.
The governance calendar produced for a new company is a record of the obligations that follow formation, not just the moment of registration. The aim is that the work done here remains useful beyond the immediate matter it addresses.
Common questions
Clearing up some common assumptions
"I do not need a lawyer for a standard contract."
What counts as standard varies. A clause that appears routine may carry obligations that are unusual in the context of Japanese commercial practice. A review is not about finding problems — it is about understanding what you are agreeing to.
"Legal advice is only for disputes."
Preventive work — reviewing a contract before it is signed, or understanding the obligations attached to a property — is more straightforward and less costly than addressing problems after they have arisen.
"I can read the contract myself."
You can, and the initial consultation does not assume otherwise. The question is whether you can identify which clauses depart from usual practice and what that departure means for you. That is where a review adds something a reading does not.
"Specialist practices are harder to access than large firms."
Consultations can be conducted by video as well as in person. A response to initial enquiries is given within two working days. The process is designed to be accessible to individuals as well as companies.
Summary
When this practice may suit you
Situation type
Civil, corporate and property matters in Japan. If you are unsure whether your matter falls within scope, the initial consultation is the right starting point.
What matters to you
A defined fee, a plain written explanation of your position, and a single contact for the duration of the matter.
Language preference
Work is conducted in English or Japanese, or a combination of both where that is useful.
Next step
If you would like to discuss your situation
A brief description of your matter by email or through the form is the simplest starting point. There is no charge for that initial exchange.
Arrange a consultation