# Divorced or not?



## EMT1988

Here's my issue. My husband (a Japanese citizen) and I (US citizen) both agreed we wanted a divorce. I am living in the US, he is still in Tokyo. He sent me the money to file for divorce here, but said he finished the procedure in Japan. Now.. I'm not sure how he did this without my signature (nor do I really care), but my question is:

Is the divorce he filed only valid in Japan, or is it also valid here meaning I don't actually need to file here?

Thanks for your help


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## larabell

EMT1988 said:


> Is the divorce he filed only valid in Japan, or is it also valid here meaning I don't actually need to file here?


If you didn't sign the paperwork and your husband didn't get a court judgement (which would be pretty tough to do without your knowledge), I doubt the divorce is even valid in Japan. If he forged your signature but you don't really case, I suppose you could just assume it's valid and move on. You might tell him the authorities here need to see proof of the divorce in Japan just to see what he sends you.

Assuming you actually have a divorce which is valid in Japan, most states should recognize it as valid there as well. If you wanted to be sure (especially if it seems likely the Japanese divorce was forged), you could file in the State where you live. In most states, if no kids are involved, you can do it yourself with one of those Nolo Press books, have him sign the forms, and just file them. What that involves differs by State.


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