What is a Certificate of Inheritance Division Agreement？
When inheritance occurs, all heirs discuss and decide who will acquire which assets and in what proportions. This is known as an inheritance division agreement. Once the agreement is reached, all heirs sign and affix their registered seals to the written inheritance division agreement document detailing the terms of the agreement.
(相続が起こった時に、相続人全員で、話合いをして、誰がどの財産をどれだけ取得するか決めます。いわゆる遺産分割協議をするわけですが、遺産分割協議をすると、この協議内容を記載した遺産分割協議書に、相続人全員が署名し、実印を押印します。)
An inheritance division agreement must be made by all heirs. If even one heir is missing, the agreement is generally invalid. Therefore, the ideal approach is for all heirs to gather together to discuss the matter and sign and seal the inheritance division agreement. However, it is often difficult for all heirs to gather together easily, as they may live far apart or have conflicting schedules.
(遺産分割協議は、必ず相続人「全員」で行う必要があり、一人でも抜けると原則として無効になります。よって、相続人全員が一堂に会して協議をし、遺産分割協議書に署名捺印するのが王道でしょう。しかし、相続人同士が遠くに離れていたり、都合がつかなかったり、そう簡単に一堂に会することができないことは多々あります。)
Therefore, one method is to conduct discussions via phone or email, record the agreed-upon details in the inheritance division agreement, and then circulate the agreement among the heirs by mail or other means for each to sign and affix their seal in turn. If the heirs live nearby and simply cannot coordinate schedules, one representative heir could visit each heir at a mutually convenient time, bringing the inheritance division agreement. If they live far apart, mailing it would be the method.
(そこで、協議は電話やメール等で行い、その協議でまとまった内容を遺産分割協議書に記載し、遺産分割協議書を郵送等で、順番に相続人間で回して、署名捺印していくという方法があります。相続人同士が近くに住んでいて、日程の都合がつかないだけなら、代表相続人のひとりが、それぞれの相続人の日程の合う時に、遺産分割協議書を持って、訪ねて行ってもいいでしょう。遠くに住んでいる場合は、郵送になるでしょう。)
At this point, the “Certificate of Inheritance Division Agreement (or Certificate of Inheritance Division)” proves very useful. Circulating the inheritance division agreement among heirs by mail can be time-consuming and carries risks such as potential loss during transit. However, using the “Certificate of Inheritance Division Agreement” eliminates these drawbacks.
(このときに、便利なのが「遺産分割協議証明書（あるいは、遺産分割証明書）」です。遺産分割協議書を相続人間で郵送で回していくとなると、時間がかなりかかってしまったり、途中で紛失してしまうリスクがあったり等、デメリットがあります。しかし、「遺産分割協議証明書」を使えば、このデメリットを解消できます。)
The “Certificate of Inheritance Division Agreement” certifies that “the inheritance division agreement has been concluded as follows.” One valid certificate is issued per heir, so each heir simply needs to sign and affix their seal to their respective certificate. For example, suppose there are three heirs: Heir A resides in Oita, Heir B in Hyogo, and Heir C in Hokkaido. Let’s designate B as the representative heir. The Certificate of Inheritance Division Agreement is sent to Oita and Hokkaido respectively. Heirs A and C sign and affix their seals to their certificates, then return them to Heir B along with their seal registration certificates. Heir B signs and seals his own Certificate of Inheritance Division Agreement and attaches his seal registration certificate. Once all three Certificates of Inheritance Division Agreement are gathered, they have the same effect as the Inheritance Division Agreement itself.
(「遺産分割協議証明書」とは、「次の通り遺産分割協議が成立したことを証明します。」と遺産分割協議を証明するものです。相続人１人に対し、１通ずつの証明書で有効なので、各相続人は、それぞれの証明書に署名捺印をすればいいのです。たとえば、相続人が３人いたとして、相続人Aは大分県、相続人Bは兵庫県、相続人Cは北海道に住んでいたとします。Bが代表相続人とします。遺産分割協議証明書をそれぞれ大分県と北海道に送付し、AとCに署名捺印をしてもらい、印鑑証明書と一緒に、Bまで送り返してもらいます。Bは自分用の遺産分割協議証明書に署名捺印をし、印鑑証明書を付けます。３通の遺産分割協議証明書がそろえば、遺産分割協議書と同じ効果が得られます。)
For inheritance registration, you must attach either an inheritance division agreement or an inheritance division agreement certificate. You can apply for inheritance registration by either attaching an inheritance division agreement signed and sealed by all heirs along with seal certificates for all heirs, or by attaching inheritance division agreement certificates signed and sealed by each heir, one for each heir, along with the corresponding number of seal certificates. If an inheritance division agreement proves inconvenient, you may wish to consider using an inheritance division agreement certificate instead.
(相続登記では、遺産分割協議書か遺産分割協議証明書を付けます。相続人全員の署名捺印がある遺産分割協議書に相続人全員の印鑑証明書を付けるか、相続人それぞれが署名捺印した遺産分割協議証明書を相続人の人数分、印鑑証明書を添えて付けるかして、相続登記を申請します。遺産分割協議書では、不便な場合は、遺産分割協議証明書を検討してみるのもいいでしょう。)
