Realization from Statutory Inheritance Information Certificate System

Statutory Inheritance Information Certificate System is the system that Regional Legal Affairs Bureau will provide the copy of the inheritance information list which shows the relationship and information of presumptive heir, beginning May 29, 2017. The process is (1) one of the inheritances gathers all the family register copies requiring for the process of inheritance (family resisters from inheritee’s birth to death and else), (2) creates the inheritance information list based on these family registers, and (3) bring this list to regional legal affairs bureau and registrar provides the copy of list to the applicant. The slogan is “saving the time to check the requisite documents which needs to bring the financial organization and people release from the bundle of family register copies.”

1. not release from the troublesome procedure

However, I wonder the slogan seems to be not true because the process does not become easier than before.  As noted above, Inheritance has to gather all related family register copies, makes the inheritance list by himself and brings it to the regional legal affairs bureau. It means one process is added to the existing troublesome ones. When he obtains the family register copies, he previously must have obtained the number of register copies and now he only obtains each one copy. He is not released from the troublesome process, gathering the copies of family registers, nor bundle of family register copies. If he asks the inheritance process to the specialist, it’s rather realistic that he requests the specialist to apply for the inheritance information list on behalf of him as well as gathering the family register copies. So far, it takes around one week to obtain the list from apply, therefore, this process is not used for the rapid service request. Also, this process does not work when inheritee or inheritance’s nationality is not Japanese and hence there is no family register copy for him.

Lawyer, judicial scrivener, land-house researcher, tax lawyer, licensed social insurance consultant, patent lawyer, maritime judicial scrivener, and administrative scrivener (gyosei shoshi) can be agent for this process.

2. True Purpose of this System

My puzzle is not solved when I read the book about this system which mostly explains how to gather the family register and only shows the process. It turned out to be solved finally when I attended the seminar held by the respectful senior gyosei shoshi. (I do not write his name here intentionally because this writing tends to be criticize the administration)

a. Simplification of administration process

As linked below, Cabinet Office (Japan) notified all ministries and agencies to “（Basic Plan for simplification of administration process )” on August 29, 2017. This plan aims to be simplified the administrative process of government that is complex and not understandable for general person and it ultimately save the officer’s time.

Application of register is complex and hence lots of land registration are left intact after the owner change by inheritance – it leads to the land and house whose owners are unknown.  It is probative that Statutory inheritance certificate system is the first step for the simplification of the administrative process.

b. Facilitate My Number System

According to the article on September, 30^th, Asahi Newspaper, “Kamikawa Minister of Justice asked Legal System Council to the modification of family register law, aiming the effectiveness of administration. If the cooperation of administrations will take effect, for the submission of marriage registration and issuance of passport, only to show the my number is required, and no required to submission of certificate of family registration.  In sum, for facilitating my number dissemination, governments are ordered to simplify the administrative procedure by using my number, and, in the near future, the process of family registration that is required to submit for inheritance information certification system will be simplified and probably the series of these system will be more convenient than now.

3. Conclusion

Statutory Inheritance Certificate Systems is not solely effective one, nor will not be disseminated. Rather, this system is the entrance of future convenience after the connection between administrations done by agencies and governments for facilitating my number dissemination and will be changed the value of the system depending on the change of other thoughts and policies.