Title 25, Marital and Domestic Relations

In determining whether to award shared custody of a child the court shall consider (1) the child's preference if the child is of sufficient age and capacity to form a preference; (2) the needs of the child; (3) the stability of the home environment likely to be offered by each pa…

(a) In determining the availability of a parent for custody or visitation, if a parent is deployed or in a position where the parent may be deployed, the court shall take particular care to ensure that the child has the maximum opportunity, consistent with the best interests of t…

If a parent or the guardian ad litem requests shared custody of a child and the court denies the request, the reasons for the denial shall be stated on the record.

(a) An award of custody of a child or visitation with the child may be modified if the court determines that a change in circumstances requires the modification of the award and the modification is in the best interests of the child. If a parent opposes the modification of the aw…

In an action to modify, vacate, or enforce that part of an order providing for custody of a child or visitation with a child, the court may, upon request of a party, award attorney fees and costs of the action. In awarding attorney fees and costs under this section, the court sha…

At any stage of a proceeding involving custody of a child the court may, if it is in the best interests of the child, close the proceeding to the public or order the court records closed to the public temporarily or permanently. The court may modify or vacate an order under this …

A parent who is not granted custody under AS 25.20.060 — 25.20.130 has the same access to the medical, dental, school, and other records of the child as the custodial parent.

(a) When a court order is specific as to when a custodian of a minor child must permit another person to have visitation with that child, and the custodian fails, wilfully and without just excuse, to permit visitation with the child in substantial conformance with the court order…

This chapter shall be liberally construed to the end that the best interests of adopted children are promoted. Due regard shall be given to the rights of all persons affected by a child's adoption.

Any person may be adopted.

(a) The following persons may adopt: (1) a husband and wife together; (2) an unmarried adult; (3) the unmarried father or mother of the person to be adopted; (4) a married person without the other spouse joining as a petitioner, if the person to be adopted is not the other spouse…

(a) Proceedings for adoption shall be brought in the superior court for the district in which, at the time of filing or granting the petition, the petitioner or the person to be adopted resides or is in military service, or in which the agency having the care, custody, or control…

(a) Unless consent is not required under AS 25.23.050, a petition to adopt a minor may be granted only if written consent to a particular adoption has been executed by (1) the mother of the minor; (2) the father of the minor, if the father was married to the mother at the time th…

(a) Consent to adoption is not required of (1) for purposes of this section, a parent who has abandoned a child for a period of at least six months; (2) a parent of a child in the custody of another, if the parent for a period of at least one year has failed significantly without…

(a) The required consent to adoption shall be executed at any time after the birth of the child in the presence of the court or in the presence of a person authorized to take acknowledgments. The consent is not valid unless the consent form states that the person consenting to th…

(a) A consent to adoption may not be withdrawn after the entry of a decree of adoption. (b) A consent to adoption may be withdrawn before the entry of a decree of adoption, within 10 days after the consent is given, by delivering written notice to the person obtaining the consent…

(a) The caption of a petition for adoption shall be styled substantially “In the Matter of the Adoption of ................”. The person to be adopted shall be designated in the caption under the name by which the person is to be known if the petition is granted. If the child is …

(a) Except as specified in (b) of this section, the petitioner in any proceeding for the adoption of a minor shall file, before the petition is heard, a full accounting report in a manner acceptable to the court of all disbursements of anything of value made or agreed to be made …

(a) After the filing of a petition to adopt a minor, the court shall fix a time and place for hearing the petition unless the petition is held in abeyance under AS 47.10.111. At least 20 days before the date of hearing, the petitioner shall give notice of the filing of the petiti…

A final decree of adoption may not be issued until the minor to be adopted, other than a stepchild of the petitioner, has lived in the adoptive home and the department or any other qualified agency or person designated by the court has had an opportunity to observe or investigate…

(a) The presence of the petitioner and the person to be adopted is not required at the hearing on the petition unless ordered by the court. (b) The court may continue the hearing from time to time to permit further observation, investigation, or consideration of any facts or circ…

(a) If the person to be adopted is a minor under the age of 10 and the person is of sufficient age and intelligence to state desires concerning the adoption, the court shall consider the person's desires. (b) The court may appoint a guardian ad litem or attorney, or both, under A…

Taking into consideration a child's stated preference under AS 25.23.125(a) and consent given under AS 25.23.040(a)(5), and unless the court finds that a petition to adopt the child by an adult family member is contrary to the best interest of the child, the court shall grant a p…

(a) A final decree of adoption, whether issued by a court of this state or of any other state, has the following effect as to matters within the jurisdiction or before a court of this state: (1) except with respect to a spouse of the petitioner and relatives of the spouse, to rel…

(a) An appeal from any final order or decree rendered under this chapter may be taken in the manner and time provided for appeal from a judgment in a civil action. (b) Subject to the disposition of an appeal, upon the expiration of one year after an adoption decree is issued, the…

(a) All hearings held in proceedings under this chapter shall be held in closed court without admittance of any person other than essential officers of the court, the parties, their witnesses, counsel, persons who have not previously consented to the adoption but are required to …

A decree of court terminating the relationship of parent and child or establishing the relationship by adoption issued under due process of law by a court of any other jurisdiction within or outside of the United States shall be recognized in this state and the rights and obligat…

Within 30 days after an adoption decree becomes final, the clerk of the court shall, if requested by the adoptive parents, prepare an application for a birth certificate in the name of the adopted person. Upon issuing a decree terminating parental rights on grounds set out in AS …

After entering a final decree or order in an Indian child adoptive placement, the court shall send to the Secretary of the Interior a copy of the decree or order and other information required by 25 U.S.C. 1951 (sec. 301(a) of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978).

In the case of the adoption of a person born outside the United States, if requested by the adoptive parents, the court shall make findings, based on evidence from the petitioner and other reliable state or federal sources, on the date and place of birth and parentage of the adop…

(a) The rights of a parent with reference to a child, including parental right to control the child or to withhold consent to an adoption, may be relinquished and the relationship of parent and child terminated in or before an adoption proceeding as provided in this section. (b) …

(a) At the time a petition for adoption is filed with the court, the agency or individual placing the person for adoption, or the petitioner, shall file with the court, for release to the state registrar of vital statistics, the following information, or an explanation of its una…

A hard-to-place child in the permanent custody of the department in a foster home for not less than one year may not be denied the opportunity for a permanent home if the achievement of this depends on continued subsidy by the state.

Persons who are caring for a hard-to-place child on a foster parent basis and who have applied to adopt the hard-to-place child and to receive payments for the care and support of the hard-to-place child shall be evaluated as to their suitability as adoptive parents by means of a…

(a) The department may adopt regulations to set the amount and length of time that a subsidy for a hard-to-place child may be granted. (b) A subsidy granted by the department under this section may be (1) paid for a specified length of time not to extend after the child's 18th bi…

The department shall adopt regulations necessary to implement the provisions of AS 25.23.185 — 25.23.240.

In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, (1) “adult” means an individual who has reached the age of majority; (2) “agency” means any person certified, licensed, or otherwise specially empowered by law or regulation to place minors for adoption; (3) “child” means a …

A husband or wife may maintain an action against the other for divorce or to have the marriage declared void.

A marriage which is prohibited by law on account of consanguinity between the persons, or a subsequent marriage contracted by a person during the life of a former husband or wife which marriage has not been annulled or dissolved is void.

A marriage may be declared void for any of the following causes existing at the time of the marriage: (1) that the party in whose behalf it is sought to have the marriage declared void was under the age of legal consent, and the marriage was contracted without the consent of the …

When either the husband or wife claims or pretends that the marriage is void or voidable, the other spouse may bring an action to have the marriage declared valid. The court may determine if the marriage is void from the beginning or from the time of the judgment or that it is va…

A divorce may be granted for any of the following grounds: (1) failure to consummate the marriage at the time of the marriage and continuing at the commencement of the action; (2) adultery; (3) conviction of a felony; (4) wilful desertion for a period of one year; (5) either (A) …

(a) Except as provided in (f) and (g) of this section, at any time within 30 days after a complaint or cross-complaint in a divorce action is filed, a party to the action may file a motion with the court requesting mediation, for the purpose of achieving a mutually agreeable sett…

In an action for divorce on the ground of adultery, a confession of adultery is not alone sufficient to justify a judgment of divorce.

When a marriage has been solemnized and the plaintiff is a resident of the state, an action to declare the marriage void may be brought at any time.

Where one spouse is plaintiff in an action for divorce or to declare void a marriage that was not solemnized in the state, the residence of the other spouse in this state inures to the plaintiff's benefit and the action may be instituted if the other spouse is at the time of its …