Alaska Court System Administration

Information about the Alaska Court System, its structure, the jurisdiction of the various courts, the judges in each judicial district, and explanations of the judicial selection and retention processes is available on the court's website.

Biographical information about Alaska's supreme court justices is available on the court's website.

Information about the judicial selection process is available on the Alaska Judicial Council's website.

The Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct reviews complaints concerning Alaskan judges. Any person can file a complaint against a state judge. The complaint should be in writing and should include the judge's name, the facts that constitute misconduct, a case number if it involves a court case, and the names of others present or aware of the facts.

Additional information is available on the Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct's website.

The Alaska Trial Jury Handbook provides general information about jury service. The handbook may provide some answers to your questions.

If you have other questions regarding jury duty contact the jury clerk at the court location where you have been summoned for jury service.

Contact information for the various court locations can be found in the Alaska Courts Directory.

Scroll down to the Table of Contents and click on the court location to see the contact information.
Smaller courts: call the phone number listed directly below the court address.
Larger courts (such as the Anchorage Trial Courts): call the phone number listed under Jury Division.

The Alaska Court System's mediation page provides information about mediation.

The court system has a booklet called Executing on the Permanent Fund Dividend: Creditor's Instructions (CIV-503), which describes the process for seizing someone's Permanent Fund Dividend. You'll need to download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view and print the booklet. CIV-503 is also available in the clerk's office at all Alaska court locations.

View the venue map online. Judicial district lines are also shown on the venue map. You'll need to download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view and print the map.

Once you have downloaded the map you may print it on any printer or plotter you have access to. You may also take the PDF file to a commercial printer and have them print it at your expense.

Attention: These instructions are NOT for persons who have been summoned for trial or grand jury service.

The Alaska Pattern Civil Jury Instructions and Alaska Pattern Criminal Jury Instructions are available on the court's website. Print copies are also available for review at the Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau branches of the Alaska State Court Law Library.

The criminal jury instructions are also available on CD-ROM from the Alaska Court System's Administrative Office, 907-264-8232.

Filing fees are set forth in Administrative Rule 9, Fee Schedule.

Witness fees are set forth in Administrative Rule 7.

The mileage rates are set by the Division of Finance in the state's Department of Administration.
Website: State of Alaska Mileage Reimbursement Rates

The Travel Section of the Alaska Administration Manual describes state travel policy. Section 60.150 concerns travel in privately owned aircraft. Section 60.140 concerns travel in privately owned vehicles (including boats). Note: This manual is not updated each time the rates change, so the mileage rates quoted in it may not be up to date.

* NOTE: Airplane GSA rates reimburse employees for all costs, including fuel. Beginning July 1, 2010, the State developed a dry rate to ensure that employees who use their personal airplanes in areas where fuel rates are higher may be reimbursed for these higher fuel costs.

Witness Mileage

The current per diem rate is provided in Alaska Per Diem Rates.

The Lieutenant Governor appoints notaries public. Visit the Lieutenant Governor's notary page for more information.

Bankruptcies are filed in federal court. Bankruptcy forms are not provided by the court, but may be purchased from stationery stores. Please note that some school loans, some credit card debts and some taxes and other types of debt are not dischargeable in bankruptcy. An attorney is not required to file bankruptcy unless a corporation is involved.

The bankruptcy court is open to the public Monday - Friday 9:00 am to 4:30 pm only. Their address is 605 W. 4th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501. Visit the United States Bankruptcy Court website or call 907-271-2655 for more information.

Alaska Legal Services Corporation offers a free bankruptcy class in Anchorage and Fairbanks. This class will teach you how to file your own paper work in a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. Participation in this class is by appointment only. Call Alaska Legal Services Corporation at (907) 452-5181.

If you are an adult (over 18 years old), you can legally change your name by filing a petition in the superior court. A petition to legally change a child's name can only be filed by an adult on behalf of a child.

Change of name packets for children (CIV-692) and adults (CIV-698) are available in the clerk's office at all Alaska court locations, and on our court forms page. These packets contain instructions and all of the necessary forms that you need. The filing fee is $200.

You should also consult the Alaska Rules of Court and Alaska Statutes for rules and statutes that may pertain to your case. The Alaska Rules of Court and Alaska Statutes are also available at many public libraries and at all Alaska State Court Law Library branches.

The Alaska Rules of Court and Alaska Statutes about name changes are:

• Civil Rule 84
  • Establishes the procedure for changing names.
• AS 09.55.010
  • Gives the superior court the power to hear change of name cases and sets the standard that the court must use in deciding whether to grant a name change.
• AS 25.24.165
  • Describes the procedure for changing a person's name in a divorce or dissolution of marriage. Also see AS 25.24.230(f) concerning dissolutions.

PLEASE NOTE: other rules and statutes may apply to your case.

Dissolution forms (DR-10 through DR-610) and packets (which include forms and instructions) are available in the clerk's office at all Alaska court locations. Some of the dissolution forms are also available on the court's website.

You should also consult the Alaska Rules of Court and Alaska Statutes for rules and statutes that may pertain to your case. The Alaska Rules of Court and Alaska Statutes are also available at many public libraries and at all law libraries statewide.

The Alaska Court System's Family Law Self-Help Center offers assistance with dissolution matters.

Alaska Corporation offers free divorce and custody clinics in various cities. Consult their clinic schedule for more information.

The small claims process is for matters involving $10,000 or less. You do not need an attorney, but all parties involved must agree to use the small claims procedure.

Small claims forms and the small claims handbook are available in the clerk's office at all Alaska court locations. Some small claims forms are also available on the court's website.

You should also consult the Alaska Rules of Court and Alaska Statutes for rules and statutes that may pertain to your case. The Alaska Rules of Court and Alaska Statutes are also available at many public libraries and at all law libraries statewide.

Stepparent adoption forms (P-400 through P-435) are available in the clerk's office at all Alaska court locations. Some stepparent adoption forms are also available on the court system's website.

You should also consult the Alaska Rules of Court and Alaska Statutes for rules and statutes that may pertain to your case. The Alaska Rules of Court and Alaska Statutes are also available at many public libraries and at all law libraries statewide.

The marriage license application and instructions are available on the Health Analytics & Vital Records website.

Information about the marriage commissioner appointments is available on the court's website.

You can get a form to request a copy of your birth certificate at the Health Analytics & Vital Records website.

Contact the records department or clerk of court where the case was filed. A complete list of all Alaska Court System locations and contact information is available on the court's website.

You can search Trial Court Cases online to get basic case information, such as the case number and court location.

Most court records are available for public inspection. Please read about how to request copies for more information on fees and how to get copies of documents.

Records in some proceedings, such as juvenile matters, are confidential and only parties to the case are allowed access to the file.

Lawyer Referral

Unbundled Services limited legal services

The Family Law Section of the Alaska Bar Association has created a list of attorneys who provide Unbundled Legal Services. Please note this list includes only those attorneys who have requested to participate - it does not include all members of the Alaska Bar Association. You can also contact individual attorneys to see if they will do unbundled services. Court staff, including Self-Help Center staff, cannot provide attorney recommendations.

There are different options to consider. Some programs that provide free attorneys which may be an option depending on your case type. There are also some attorneys who will do pay-as-you go services or limited legal services (known as "unbundled services”). There is also a court program, the Family Law Self-Help Center, to help people represent themselves in family law cases.

Free Legal Services

Unbundled Services - limited legal services

The Family Law Section of the Alaska Bar Association has created a list of attorneys who provide Unbundled Legal Services. Please note this list includes only those attorneys who have requested to participate - it does not include all members of the Alaska Bar Association. You can also contact individual attorneys to see if they will do unbundled services. Court staff, including Self-Help Center staff, cannot provide attorney recommendations.

Please visit the Alaska Bar Association's Discipline System webpage for information.

Please visit the Alaska Bar Association's Complaints Against Attorneys webpage for information.

Information about the Alaska bar exam is available on the Alaska Bar Association's website, or call the Alaska Bar Association:

907-272-7469
800-770-9999 (Outside Anchorage)

The court maintains attorney addresses in CourtView using the "business" address on file with the Alaska Bar Association. This is the address that courts use when distributing notices, orders and judgments. If there is no business address on file with the Bar, CourtView will reflect "Address not provided" in the address field.

Whenever an attorney’s business address changes, it is important that the attorney immediately submit an Address Change Form with the Bar Association. This form is available on the Bar’s website: https://alaskabar.org/ Attorney addresses in CourtView are updated weekly from a file received from the Alaska Bar Association.

• Attorneys must also give notice of the change of address to other parties by filing and serving a notice of change of address in each case in which the attorney appears as required by Civil Rule 5(i).