Hiring a Child Custody Lawyer in Alaska
How courts in Alaska decide custody, emergency custody, parenting classes, how to check a lawyer's license, and free or low-cost family law help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Alaska: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Contingent fees are allowed except where Rule 1.5(d) or other law prohibits them. A fee agreement that is wholly or partly contingent must be in writing and state the method for figuring the fee, including the percentage(s) to the lawyer on settlement, trial or appeal, the litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery, and whether expenses come out before or after the fee is calculated. Alaska adds that the written agreement must include the Rule 1.4(c) malpractice-insurance disclosure (required if the lawyer lacks coverage of at least $100,000 per claim and $300,000 aggregate) and state any costs, fees or expenses the client may owe the lawyer or the opposing party. At the end, the lawyer must give a written statement of the outcome and the client's share. Contingent fees are banned for criminal defendants and for domestic relations fees contingent on securing a divorce or on establishing or modifying alimony, support or a property settlement. |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Alaska Bar runs a fee arbitration program for disputes with a lawyer licensed in Alaska or over legal services in a matter conducted in Alaska. You must first try to resolve the dispute with the lawyer; it is not available when the fee was set by a court decision, statute or court rule. After the petition (mailed with an original signature) is filed, the lawyer gets a 10-day grace period to resolve it. Disputes of $5,000 or less are heard by one committee member; larger ones by a three-member panel including a non-lawyer. The decision is final and binding, and the hearing may proceed if a party fails to appear. If you hired the lawyer more than 3 years ago, you must explain the delay. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | The Alaska Bar's Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection, administered by the Board of Governors, can compensate people who lost money, property or other things of value because of a lawyer's dishonest conduct, if the loss is not covered by insurance or a bond and meets Alaska Bar Rule 45. The LFCP Committee investigates and the Board decides; compensation is in the Board's sole discretion. |
Alaska rules to know first
| How custody is decided | Custody is decided by the child's best interests. Factors include the child's physical, emotional, mental, religious and social needs; each parent's ability and desire to meet them; the child's preference if the child is old enough and capable of forming one; love and affection with each parent; stability and continuity; each parent's willingness to support the child's relationship with the other parent; domestic violence, abuse or neglect; and substance abuse. A parent with a history of domestic violence is presumed not to be awarded sole or joint custody, a presumption that can be overcome only on specific showings. No fixed age is set for the child's preference. Re-verified 2026-10-27. |
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| Emergency custody | While a divorce is pending, the court can award temporary child support and issue protective orders, including orders protecting a spouse under the domestic violence law and orders directing a spouse to leave the home. Under the interstate custody law, an Alaska court has temporary emergency jurisdiction if the child is in Alaska and has been abandoned, or an emergency order is needed because the child, a sibling or a parent is being mistreated or abused or threatened with it. If another state has jurisdiction, the Alaska emergency order lasts only for a period the court sets so the person can get an order from that state. Re-verified 2026-10-27. |
| Parenting classes | It depends on the court. Many courts require parents to view the Listen to the Children video, and some also require a special class or workshop. Check with your local court. Separately, a party may ask for mediation within 30 days after a divorce complaint is filed and the court may order it, but not when a domestic violence protective order is in effect. |
| Grandparents' rights | A grandparent may ask the superior court for reasonable visitation if the grandparent has established or tried to establish ongoing personal contact with the child and visitation is in the child's best interest. After a final custody or adoption order, a grandparent may petition only if they did not ask for visitation during that case or circumstances have changed. The court considers any history of child abuse or domestic violence by the grandparent's son or daughter. Re-verified 2026-10-27. Source: Alaska Stat. § 25.20.065 |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Alaska Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service lists Alaska lawyers in good standing by practice area. A Lawyer Referral Service Assistant (not a lawyer, and unable to give legal advice) takes your name and a short description of the problem and gives you the names and phone numbers of up to three lawyers who handle that type of issue. Participating lawyers "will charge no more than $125 for the first half-hour of consultation"; later fees are agreed with the lawyer. The service does not rate lawyers and has no list of free or low-fee lawyers. Phone 907-272-0352, toll-free in Alaska 1-800-770-9999, email LRS@alaskabar.org; open 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00-4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Alaska Bar Association (840 K Street, Suite 100, Anchorage) offers an online lawyer directory on its Member Directories page for searching Alaska Bar members. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Grievances about an Alaska lawyer go to the Alaska Bar Association. Review the bar's linked explanations first, then fill out the Attorney Grievance Form, print, sign and date it, and mail the original (no electronic, faxed or photocopied forms) to 840 K Street, Suite 100, Anchorage, AK 99501-3353, describing what the lawyer did or failed to do and attaching supporting documents. No filing fee is mentioned. Public discipline can be checked through the bar's Attorney Public Discipline Search; the bar also posts public notices regarding attorneys. Bar phone: 907-272-7469. Public discipline search: https://justiceweb.alaskabar.org/justiceweb |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Alaska Legal Services Corporation is the LSC-funded civil legal aid organization for Alaska and provides free civil legal help to eligible low-income Alaskans. The Alaska Court System's Self-Help Center offers free legal information and forms for people representing themselves. Court self-help: https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/index.htm |
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Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.