In Hall v. Hall,[1] the supreme court held that an ex-husband was not entitled to a Ramsey credit for his post-divorce mortgage payments because he had been living rent-free in the marital home; however, because the trial court did not sufficiently explain its ruling on that issue, a meaningful review of the order allocating the Continue Reading »
In Jessica J. v. State,[1] the supreme court held that the superior court was correct in not considering the best interest of the child as part of an Interstate Compact for Juveniles (ICJ) requisition proceeding. Fifteen year-old Jessica traveled from Iowa to Alaska to spend the summer with family friends with her mother’s permission. Her Continue Reading »
In John E. v. Andrea E.,[1] the supreme court ruled the trial court abused its discretion in a child custody modification action when it excluded testimony by the child’s psychologist. A couple of years after the mother was granted primary physical and sole legal custody of their 12 year old daughter, the mother repeatedly hit Continue Reading »
In Joy B. v. Everett B.,[1] the supreme court held that the lower court could consider evidence other than the completion of a batterer’s program in determining whether a parent with a history of domestic violence overcame the rebuttable statutory presumption against his being awarded child custody. After a hearing on temporary orders, the trial Continue Reading »
In Oliver N. v. State, Department of Health & Social Services,[1] the supreme court held new federal regulations issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) materially changed the qualifications required of an expert testifying in a child in need of aid case under the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The BIA issued formal regulations Continue Reading »
In Perry v. Perry,[1] the supreme court held that a court must presume that debt incurred during marriage is martial when equitably dividing marital assets upon divorce, and that a court may not rely solely on W-2s to determine income for child support purposes without considering other contrary and more recent evidence before it. Adam Continue Reading »
In Regina C. v. Michael C.,[1] the supreme court held that a mother committing the crime of custodial interference was a solid foundation for the superior court to modify the physical custody of her children. Regina and Michael C. were married in 2000 and had two children. In 2014, the couple divorced and in the Continue Reading »
In Sabrina V. v. State, Department of Health and Social Services,[1] the supreme court held that it was not an abuse of discretion for the superior court to decline to allow Sabrina V.’s untimely withdrawal of her voluntary relinquishment of parental rights. Sabrina V. signed a relinquishment of her parental rights to her son Kaleb Continue Reading »
In Saffir v. Wheeler,[1] the supreme court held that the superior court erred by failing to engage in proper symmetrical analysis of childcare stability and continuity in a child custody dispute, but did not abuse its discretion in not ordering protective measures to ensure the father’s sobriety while caring for the child. Saffir sought primary Continue Reading »
In Schwier v. Schwier,[1] the supreme court found that a father made a sufficient prima facie showing of changed circumstances which warranted an evidentiary hearing on a possible modification to an existing child support order. After being indicted on federal charges, Matthew Schwier was placed on house arrest and resigned from his job. Schwier filed Continue Reading »
