divorce by decree; judicial divorce
A legal term for divorce granted by a court ruling, as opposed to divorce by mutual agreement (協議離婚) or mediation (調停離婚).
A divorce that is finalized by a court ruling is called a judicial divorce.
When mutual consent divorce is difficult, one may file a lawsuit seeking a divorce by decree.
Divorce by mutual agreement, the most common type in Japan, requiring only a joint declaration. 判決離婚 is a court-imposed divorce when agreement cannot be reached.
Divorce through family court mediation. 判決離婚 is a step further, where the court issues a binding decision after failed mediation or in contested cases.
Compound of 判決 (judgment, decision) and 離婚 (divorce). The term directly reflects the legal process of a court-ordered dissolution of marriage.