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How to become a Family Court Probation Officer

Uses specialist knowledge and methods from the behavioural sciences to investigate cases, helping to resolve family disputes and to help young offenders get back on track.

Workers in this job say university or a master's degree is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

You must pass the court staff comprehensive track recruitment exam (for assistant family court probation officers, in the graduate school or university graduate level category). For both categories, applicants must be under 30. The exam has two stages. Once hired as an assistant family court probation officer, you train for about two years at the Training and Research Institute for Court Officials and at the family court you are posted to, and are appointed as a probation officer when you finish. At the institute you take joint training such as lectures and exercises, and at the family court a senior probation officer trains you in handling cases and all other aspects of investigation work. Because you do the family court's specialist work, such as investigating facts and helping to mend relationships, you need specialist knowledge and methods in psychology and related fields, knowledge of law, and constant self-study to improve them. You also need the high ethical standards and sense of mission of a court employee, and the flexibility and cooperation to work alongside staff from other agencies.

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Family Court Probation Officer?

You must pass the court staff comprehensive track recruitment exam (for assistant family court probation officers, in the graduate school or university graduate level category). For both categories, applicants must be under 30. The exam has two stages. Once hired as an assistant family court probation officer, you train for about two years at the Training and Research Institute for Court Officials and at the family court you are posted to, and are appointed as a probation officer when you finish. At the institute you take joint training such as lectures and exercises, and at the family court a senior probation officer trains you in handling cases and all other aspects of investigation work. Because you do the family court's specialist work, such as investigating facts and helping to mend relationships, you need specialist knowledge and methods in psychology and related fields, knowledge of law, and constant self-study to improve them. You also need the high ethical standards and sense of mission of a court employee, and the flexibility and cooperation to work alongside staff from other agencies.

Do you need a degree to become a Family Court Probation Officer?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 69% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Family Court Probation Officer?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026