My wife moved out and went back to Okinawa in 2002, while I was in stationed in Northern Japan. Currently I have requested a divorce but she has continually put it off even though we have not seen each other in over 5 years. This is causing undue stress upon me and I have had enough.

I have since then relocated to America and still have no idea how to go about getting a divorce, since everything I reads states that I need to be there for a divorce to take place.

Does anyone have an idea how I can get out of this situation, its ridiculous and I cannot stand to deal with it anymore and I do not have the finances currently to go all the way back to Japan.

A lot of lawyers will give you the first 30 minutes free. I would contact a good family lawyer and get their opinion. If you are under so much stress then even paying a lawyer for their advice would probably be a good thing.

Were you married in Japan? That might have bearing on it as well. I suspect that you should be able to get a divorce in the US (assuming you live in the US) but it may not be recognized in Japan. I found a few interesting websites, but from the quick read I gave them, it does appear you would have to appear at least once.

Go HERE (http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-7117.html) or HERE (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce_(conflict)#Japanese_divorce) for information.

It does look very complex.

Good luck!

Didi

I'm not a lawyer but my guess is that after this much time, and particularly as she's left the country, you can probably get a divorce without her consent or involvement, particularly if you are in a no-fault state. I would guess that there must be some law in place for abandonment/alienation of the relationship that would resolve your problem. The idea of getting a free consultation with a lawyer is a great idea. You might even ask if it is a difficult process. You may be able to go to your state/county and get the forms and file them yourself - you apparently don't have anyone around to contest it, or to ask for any financial judgement, so it might not be that hard, but I really don't know.