Consultation Terms
Tommy’s Legal Service
These terms apply to free light consultations and paid 60-minute consultations provided by Tommy’s Legal Service. Please read them before booking or using our consultation service.
Table of Contents
1. Scope of Consultation
Tommy’s Legal Service provides consultation mainly in relation to Japanese immigration procedures, status of residence, permanent residence, naturalization guidance, foreign employment, Specified Skilled Worker matters, Registered Support Organization matters, and related administrative matters.
Consultation may include general explanation, risk organization, document review, procedural guidance, and practical discussion of possible next steps, depending on the consultation type and the information provided by the client.
2. Free Light Consultation and Paid Consultation
| Type | Main Purpose | Typical Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Free Light Consultation | Initial direction check | Basic fact confirmation, general explanation of possible procedures, and rough guidance on what may need to be checked next. |
| Paid 60-minute Consultation | Case-specific review and strategy | More detailed review of facts and documents, risk analysis, discussion of procedure options, timeline, and practical next steps. |
Free light consultation is limited
Free light consultation is intended for quick direction-setting only. If the matter requires detailed document review, case-specific risk assessment, review of past applications, denial analysis, or preparation of an application strategy, we may ask you to book a paid consultation.
3. Fees and Payment
Consultation Scope and Advance Review
The fixed fee is JPY 11,000 including tax for a standard 60-minute consultation, or JPY 22,000 including tax for a specialist / complex 60-minute consultation. Clients in Japan may pay by GMO Aozora Net Bank transfer or Stripe. Stripe is the standard for clients outside Japan. Listed basic fees include tax. For Stripe payments, our office adds a 5% online payment fee to the amount payable, including professional fees and expenses such as government fees, postage and translation costs. No office online payment fee applies to GMO bank transfers; bank transfer charges are borne by the client.
Simple advance review of up to 5 A4-equivalent pages is included. Six or more pages, or documents requiring detailed research or cross-checking regardless of page count, may require a separately agreed additional fee or quotation.
A standard consultation covers eligibility, documents and next steps for one main matter, including ordinary immigration, family, permanent residence or naturalization questions. Specialist consultation covers preliminary analysis within the consultation time, such as points-based permanent residence without Highly Skilled Professional status, Business Manager, reapplication after refusal, tax or pension issues and comparison of application routes. Completed application forms or point calculation sheets, detailed point and evidence checks at multiple dates, full evidence review, detailed research and written opinions are separately quoted.
We confirm the category, scope and total before payment. Additional work begins only after you agree to its scope and fee. Consultation fees are payable after the scope and total have been confirmed and before the consultation, using GMO bank transfer or an individual Stripe payment link as arranged with our office. No payment is required when submitting the inquiry form.
Consultation Fee Credit upon Formal Engagement
If you formally engage our office and we accept the same matter within 30 days of the consultation date, one paid basic consultation fee will be credited toward the application professional fee. The online payment fee is excluded from this credit. The credit will be deducted from the initial retainer invoice and shown in the quotation and invoice.
Separately quoted detailed document review, written work, government fees and actual expenses are excluded. A fee for a consultation already provided is not refundable if you do not proceed with formal engagement.
The revised fees apply to new consultations and new quotations after this update was published on September 12, 2026. Existing quotations, confirmed bookings and ongoing cases are not affected retroactively.
- Standard consultation — 60 minutes: JPY 11,000 including tax. A 5% online payment fee applies when paying through Stripe.
- Specialist consultation / complex case — 60 minutes: JPY 22,000 including tax. A 5% online payment fee applies when paying through Stripe.
- The specialist fee may apply to refusal or reapplication matters, Business Manager cases, detailed procedural research, comparison of multiple statuses or procedures, multiple issues, or other matters requiring specialist analysis based on current rules and examination tendencies. Additional work outside the fixed consultation scope is separately quoted and agreed in advance. We will notify you before payment if it applies.
- Paid consultation is generally prepaid. The appointment will generally be confirmed after payment by GMO bank transfer or the individual Stripe link has been confirmed.
- The automatic reply only confirms receipt and does not contain a Stripe payment link or bank details. After reviewing your inquiry and documents, our office will send the confirmed fee and bank transfer instructions or an individual Stripe payment link according to the selected payment method.
- GMO bank transfer is a standard option for clients in Japan. Stripe is the standard for clients outside Japan. Wise or PayPal may be offered only as an exception after our office reviews the circumstances.
- Bank transfer charges are borne by the client.
- Our office adds a 5% online payment fee to Stripe payments, including professional fees and expenses. With no extra work or expenses, Stripe consultation totals are JPY 11,550 for standard consultation and JPY 23,100 for specialist / complex consultation.
- Stripe Checkout may display credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPay, convenience store payment or other methods. Availability depends on the device, browser, country of residence and other eligibility conditions, and is limited to the methods displayed on Stripe Checkout.
- For convenience store payment, issuance of a payment number, reception number or barcode does not complete payment. Payment is treated as complete only after payment at the store and confirmation of receipt in Stripe.
- Convenience store payment cannot be used for a payment exceeding JPY 300,000 per transaction. We will guide you to bank transfer or another suitable method in that case.
- Review of 6 or more pages, special or complex materials, detailed research or a written response may require an additional fee or an individual quotation.
- For services other than the 60-minute consultation, fees, payment timing and any handling charges will be stated separately in the quotation or invoice.
4. Booking and Appointment Confirmation
For a paid consultation, please submit the booking form with your name, contact information, preferred dates and times, consultation topic, estimated document volume. The automatic reply only confirms receipt and does not contain a Stripe payment link or bank details. After reviewing your inquiry and documents, our office will send the applicable consultation category, confirmed fee and an individual Stripe payment link. Submission of the form alone does not confirm your appointment.
- Please provide your preferred dates and times in Japan time, unless another timezone is clearly stated.
- The appointment will be confirmed after Tommy’s Legal Service reviews the submitted information, applicable consultation category, payment status and schedule availability.
- Online consultations are conducted through Google Meet or another method designated by our office.
- In-person consultations are generally conducted at our office or another location designated by our office.
- For online meetings, the meeting link will be sent after the appointment is confirmed.
- If your matter is urgent, please state the deadline clearly when submitting the booking form.
- Depending on availability, the matter, or the legal scope of Gyoseishoshi services, we may be unable to accept the consultation.
5. Cancellation, Rescheduling, and Refunds
| Situation | Handling |
|---|---|
| Cancellation at least 24 hours before the appointment | Full refund is available. |
| Cancellation within 24 hours before the appointment | Non-refundable. |
| No-show | Non-refundable. |
| Rescheduling request at least 24 hours before the appointment | Rescheduling is generally available, subject to our schedule. |
| Client is late | The consultation may still end at the originally scheduled time. The fee will not be reduced. |
| Office-side cancellation or unavoidable schedule change | We will offer rescheduling or a refund, depending on the situation. |
6. Documents and Information Provided by the Client
The quality and accuracy of consultation depends on the information and documents provided by the client. Please provide accurate, current, and complete information to the extent possible.
- Residence card, passport, employment documents, tax documents, family documents, or past immigration documents may be requested depending on the matter.
- The paid consultation booking form allows up to 3 optional PDF, JPG, JPEG or PNG files, with a maximum size of 5 MB per file.
- Simple advance review of up to 5 A4-equivalent pages is included in the standard consultation fee. If the materials exceed 5 pages, the volume is unclear, or the materials are special or complex, please wait for our notice of the applicable consultation category and total fee before making payment.
- Do not submit a My Number Card, Individual Number, passwords, PINs or unrelated financial information. Mask such information where necessary.
- Large-volume files, spreadsheets, video, audio and unsupported formats must be sent separately after arrangement with our office.
- If documents are missing or unclear, our advice may be limited.
- If the facts later turn out to be different from the information provided during consultation, the advice may no longer apply.
- Please do not send false, altered, or misleading documents.
7. No Guarantee of Approval or Result
Consultation by Tommy’s Legal Service does not guarantee approval, permission, acceptance, successful filing, or any specific result by the Immigration Services Agency, Legal Affairs Bureau, municipality, embassy, consulate, court, or any other public authority.
Administrative decisions depend on the facts, documents, examination standards, timing, and discretion of the relevant authority. We provide professional guidance based on the information available, but the final decision is made by the competent authority.
8. Professional Scope and Limitations
Tommy’s Legal Service is an Administrative Scrivener / Gyoseishoshi office in Japan. We handle consultation and support within the legal scope of administrative scrivener practice.
- We do not provide services outside the legal scope of administrative scrivener practice.
- We do not guarantee court representation, litigation work, tax advice, social insurance and labor services, real estate registration, commercial registration, or services reserved for attorneys or other licensed professionals.
- If the matter requires another professional, such as an attorney, tax accountant, social insurance labor consultant, judicial scrivener, or other expert, we may recommend that you consult the appropriate professional.
- Consultation time is limited to the reserved time. Additional consultation may require a new booking or separate fee.
8.2 Scope and Limitation of Liability
Where the Office is liable to the client in connection with a paid consultation, liability arising from the Office’s ordinary negligence shall be limited to ordinary and direct damages. The Office’s aggregate liability shall not exceed the greater of (i) the consultation and document-review fees actually received by the Office for the relevant consultation or (ii) JPY 1,000,000.
This limitation does not apply to damage caused by the Office’s wilful misconduct or gross negligence, death or personal injury, or any liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
This clause does not limit any obligation under the Act on the Protection of Personal Information or other applicable law to report an incident, notify affected individuals, investigate the cause, prevent further damage, take corrective action, or any administrative or criminal responsibility, or liability to any third party who is not the consultation client.
9. Communication and Online Consultation
Consultation may be conducted by online meeting, phone, email, WhatsApp, LINE, or other communication tools. Please use a stable communication environment for online consultation.
- If the client’s internet connection or device issue prevents the consultation from proceeding, the consultation may still be treated as held.
- Please join the meeting from a private environment where confidential matters can be discussed safely.
- Recording, screenshots, or redistribution of the consultation without prior permission is not allowed.
- We may keep internal notes for case management, quality control, and future service continuity.
10. Personal Information and Confidentiality
Personal information provided for consultation will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy. We use the information mainly for consultation, appointment management, case review, communication, quotation, invoicing, and related administrative purposes.
We do not unnecessarily disclose consultation details or personal information to third parties, except where required by law, where the client has consented, or where cooperation with another professional or related organization is necessary for the matter.
11. Changes to These Terms
Tommy’s Legal Service may revise these terms when necessary due to changes in service operation, payment methods, legal requirements, or other practical reasons. The latest version published on this website will apply to consultations booked after the revision.
12. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These terms are governed by the laws of Japan. If a dispute arises in relation to consultation services, the parties will first attempt to resolve it through good-faith discussion. If court proceedings become necessary, the competent court having jurisdiction over the location of Tommy’s Legal Service shall be the agreed court of jurisdiction, depending on the nature and amount of the dispute.
Office Information
Tommy’s Legal Service
Administrative Scrivener / Gyoseishoshi Office
102, THE HUB Yokohama Motomachi,
1-13-2 Ishikawa, Naka-ward,
Yokohama City, Kanagawa 231-0868, Japan
Phone: 045-550-5135
Gyoseishoshi Registration No.: 21080644
Immigration Application Agent No.: 行-132021200250
Registered Support Organization No.: 26登-013083