- Wills v. Humphries
FAMILY LAW
Supreme Court of Alaska (2025)
Alison Tobin
In Wills v. Humphries, 564 P.3d 272 (Alaska 2025), the Supreme Court of Alaska held that a child support offset may be granted to a parent who is owed attorneys’ fees by the other parent. (Id. at 282). When Robert Wills and Aniela Humphries divorced in 2012, they entered ...
- Sandvik v. Frazier
FAMILY LAW
Supreme Court of Alaska (2025)
Tommy Nowak
In Sandvik v. Frazier, 573 P.3d 552 (Alaska 2025), the Supreme Court of Alaska held that the superior court needed to further explain why the purchase of life insurance for a divorced spouse was not an appropriate remedial action. (Id. at 553). Sandvik and Frazier divorced and reached a ...
- Native Village of Saint Michael v. State of Alaska, Department of Family & Community Services, Office of Children’s Services
FAMILY LAW
Supreme Court of Alaska (2025)
Suleyman Amjad
In Native Village of Saint Michael v. State of Alaska, Department of Family & Community Services, Office Of Children’s Services, 572 P.3d 546 (Alaska 2025), the Supreme Court of Alaska held that, when the Office of Children’s Services (OCS) properly releases custody of a child to a parent, the ...
- Matter of Sasha J.
FAMILY LAW
Supreme Court of Alaska (2025)
Ben Helzner
In Matter of Sasha J., 563 P.3d 602 (Alaska 2025), the Supreme Court of Alaska held that courts are not necessarily precluded from determining whether an individual is incapacitated by a previous determination of that individual’s incapacity. (Id. at 610). In 2012, the Alaska superior court determined that Sasha ...
- Matter of Macon J.
FAMILY LAW
Supreme Court of Alaska (2025)
Suleyman Amjad
In Matter of Macon J., 565 P.3d 215, 226 (Alaska 2025), the Supreme Court of Alaska held that appointing a guardian does not require the same standard of evidence as terminating parental rights and that such appointment is not a de facto termination of parental rights. (Id. at 226). ...
- Matter of Lila B.
FAMILY LAW
Supreme Court of Alaska (2025)
Jordan Scott
In Matter of Lila B., 568 P.3d 1 (Alaska 2025), the Supreme Court of Alaska held that the State must demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that shaving a mental-health detainee’s head is the least restrictive means of furthering a compelling government interest. (Id. at 5–6). An individual detained ...
- Mary B. v. Kovol
FAMILY LAW
United States District Court for the District of Alaska (2025)
James Blair
In Mary B. v. Kovol, 786 F. Supp. 3d 1161 (D. Alaska 2025), the United States District Court for the District of Alaska held that the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (CWA) created rights, enforceable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, to ...
- Chapman v. Chapman
FAMILY LAW
Supreme Court of Alaska (2025)
Michael Ash
In Chapman v. Chapman, 563 P.3d 1155 (Alaska 2025), the Supreme Court of Alaska held that the Superior Court did not err when it ordered undistributed trust income to be used in calculating a child support obligation from a parent who exercised control over the trust. (Id. at 1157). ...
- I.J. v. State
FAMILY LAW
Court of Appeals of Alaska (2024)
Erik Gordon
In I.J. v. State, 553 P.3d 1263 (Alaska Ct. App. 2024), the court of appeals held that “the least restrictive alternative rule” does not mean that each less restrictive alternative must be attempted when there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the less restrictive measures will fail. (Id. ...
- Tara R. v. Department of Family & Community Services, Office of Children’s Services
FAMILY LAW
Supreme Court of Alaska (2024)
Caitlyn Leary
In Tara R. v. Department of Family & Community Services, Office of Children’s Services, 541 P.3d 539 (Alaska 2024), the Alaska Supreme Court held that foster parents are not permitted to intervene in a case regarding termination of parental rights except under rare circumstances. (Id. at 532, 538). When ...
