Alaska · Custody and support · Updated Oct 2026
Child custody and support in Alaska
Custody and child support in a Alaska divorce: the legal term for custody, the parenting class, the official support calculator, custody mediation and the child support agency.
The short answer
Alaska law uses the term “custody and visitation (parenting plan)” for custody. Parenting class: Not required. Alaska publishes an official child support calculator or guidelines.
- Custody term
- Custody and visitation (parenting plan)
- Parenting class
- Not required
- Child support calculator
- Official child support calculator or guidelines
- Child support agency
- Alaska Child Support Services Division (CSSD)
Custody terms in Alaska
Custody and visitation (parenting plan)
Mediation
Not required, but the court offers free mediation in divorces with children and in custody cases; you can ask the court to refer you. If you are a domestic violence victim, you can't be required to mediate: https://courts.alaska.gov/mediation/index.htm
Parenting class in Alaska
- Not required.
- The Alaska Court System no longer requires a parent education program in divorce or custody cases; optional classes are listed by the court: https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/family/parent-ed.htm
Child support in Alaska
- Child support calculator: Official child support calculator or guidelines
- Child support agency: Alaska Child Support Services Division (CSSD)
Good to know
There is no minimum residency time, but the court may not be able to divide property or decide custody if your spouse or children have little connection to Alaska (Self-Help Center).
Children in a Alaska divorce: what the process includes
Custody
The court's orders use Alaska's term for custody: custody and visitation (parenting plan).
Parenting class
Not required.
Mediation
Not required, but the court offers free mediation in divorces with children and in custody cases; you can ask the court to refer you.
Child support
The official calculator or guidelines: Official child support calculator or guidelines
The child support agency
Alaska's child support agency: Alaska Child Support Services Division (CSSD)
Questions about custody and child support in Alaska
What is child custody called in Alaska?
Alaska uses the term “custody and visitation (parenting plan)”.
Do parents have to take a class in a Alaska divorce?
Not required. The Alaska Court System no longer requires a parent education program in divorce or custody cases; optional classes are listed by the court: https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/family/parent-ed.htm
Is there an official child support calculator for Alaska?
Yes. Alaska's official calculator or guidelines: Official child support calculator or guidelines
Which agency handles child support in Alaska?
Is mediation required for custody in Alaska?
Not required, but the court offers free mediation in divorces with children and in custody cases; you can ask the court to refer you. If you are a domestic violence victim, you can't be required to mediate: https://courts.alaska.gov/mediation/index.htm
More about divorce in Alaska
- All Alaska divorce laws
- Uncontested divorce in Alaska
- Alaska divorce forms and filing fees
- Alimony in Alaska
- Serving divorce papers in Alaska
- Divorce timeline estimator for Alaska
- Divorce checklist for Alaska
- How to file for divorce without a lawyer
- Served with divorce papers: what to do
Custody and support in nearby states
- Official child support calculator or guidelines
- Alaska Child Support Services Division (CSSD)
- Alaska Self-Help Center: Start a divorce or dissolution case
- Alaska Self-Help Center: Filing Fees & Fee Waiver
- Alaska Self-Help Center: Respond to a divorce
- Alaska Self-Help Center: Serve the Other Side
- Alaska Self-Help Center: Change of Name
- Alaska Court System: Mediation
Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.