Supervised visitation in Alaska is court-ordered contact where a neutral third party monitors a parent's time with their child. Under Alaska Stat. § 25.24.150(j), Alaska courts must order supervised visitation when a parent has a history of perpetrating domestic violence. Hourly costs range from $40 to $125 depending on the provider and supervision level.
Alaska treats supervised visitation as a child-safety tool, not a punishment. The goal is preserving the parent-child bond while protecting the child from documented risks. This guide explains when Alaska courts order supervised access, how the domestic violence presumption drives monitored visitation, what it costs, and how a parent can transition back to unsupervised parenting time. Because Alaska uses a unified superior court system with no county courts, the same statutory rules apply whether you file in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, or a rural community.
Key Facts: Supervised Visitation and Divorce in Alaska (2026)
| Factor | Alaska Rule |
|---|---|
| Filing Fee (Divorce/Dissolution) | $250 to file; $150 for a counterclaim |
| Waiting Period | 30 days minimum for dissolution (AS 25.24.220) |
| Residency Requirement | No durational minimum; physical presence with intent to remain (AS 25.24.090) |
| Grounds | No-fault (incompatibility of temperament) and fault grounds available |
| Property Division Type | Equitable distribution (not community property) |
| Supervised Visitation Statute | AS 25.24.150(j) |
| Best-Interests Factors | AS 25.24.150(c) — 9 statutory factors |
| Supervised Visitation Cost | $40-$125 per hour depending on provider and level |
As of January 2026. Verify all fees with your local Alaska Court System clerk before filing.
What Is Supervised Visitation in Alaska?
Supervised visitation in Alaska is a court-ordered arrangement where a neutral adult monitors all contact between a parent and child to ensure the child's physical and emotional safety. Alaska courts order it under AS 25.24.150(j) most often when a parent has a documented domestic violence history, substance abuse problem, or history of abuse or neglect that makes unsupervised time unsafe.
Supervised access takes several forms in Alaska. Professional supervision uses a trained monitor at a visitation center who watches and documents each session. Nonprofessional supervision allows a trusted relative or family friend approved by the court to observe visits. Monitored exchange is a lighter form where a third party oversees only the pickup and drop-off, so the parents never interact, but the visit itself is unsupervised. Therapeutic supervision adds a licensed clinician who helps rebuild the parent-child relationship. The court specifies which type applies, how many hours are permitted, where visits occur, and who may serve as supervisor. Alaska judges tailor these terms to the specific safety concern rather than applying a one-size-fits-all order.
When Does Alaska Order Supervised Visitation?
Alaska courts order supervised visitation primarily when a parent has a "history of perpetrating domestic violence" as defined in AS 25.24.150(h). A parent meets this standard if the court finds that a single incident caused serious physical injury, or that the parent engaged in more than one incident of domestic violence. Once this finding is made, supervised visitation is mandatory, not discretionary.
Beyond domestic violence, Alaska judges may order monitored visitation based on the nine best-interests factors in AS 25.24.150(c). These factors direct the court to weigh evidence of domestic violence, child abuse, or child neglect in the household under factor seven, and evidence that substance abuse by a parent directly affects the child's well-being under factor eight. Substance addiction, untreated mental illness that endangers the child, prior abduction threats, or a parent's lengthy absence from the child's life can all justify supervised access. Importantly, AS 25.24.150 does not require a protective order or criminal conviction for the court to find domestic violence — a preponderance of the evidence at the custody hearing is enough. The judge must limit consideration to facts that directly affect the child's welfare.
The Domestic Violence Presumption and Why Supervised Visitation Applies
Alaska law creates a rebuttable presumption under AS 25.24.150(g) that a parent with a domestic violence history may not receive sole or joint legal or physical custody. When this presumption applies, AS 25.24.150(j) requires the court to allow only supervised visitation, conditioned on the parent completing a batterer intervention program and a parenting education program where reasonably available.
This is the single most common legal pathway to supervised access in Alaska. The presumption is powerful because it shifts the burden: once a court finds a qualifying history of violence, the violent parent starts from a position of no custody and supervised-only contact. The statute defines the trigger precisely — one incident causing serious physical injury, or more than one incident of any severity. Notably, factor six of AS 25.24.150(c) removes the usual "friendly parent" analysis when abuse is proven, meaning a survivor is not penalized for limiting the abuser's access. Under AS 25.24.150(k), an abused parent's trauma symptoms cannot be used to deny that parent custody unless the effects are so severe the parent cannot safely care for the child. Alaska structures these rules to protect both children and abused parents.
How Much Does Supervised Visitation Cost in Alaska?
Supervised visitation in Alaska typically costs between $40 and $125 per hour, depending on the provider and level of supervision required. Monitored exchange, where only pickup and drop-off are supervised, runs lower — roughly $35 to $50 per exchange. Therapeutic supervision with a licensed clinician sits at the top of the range. The parent ordered into supervised visitation usually pays these costs, though courts can split them.
Alaska has no statewide fee schedule for supervised visitation providers, so costs vary by community. Private providers such as Alaska Visitation Services offer court-ordered supervision, while some domestic violence and family service agencies provide sliding-scale rates based on documented household income. In child-welfare and dependency cases handled through the Office of Children's Services, supervised visits through programs like Alaska Family Services' Family Contact Services may be provided at no cost to the parent. For private divorce and custody matters, families arrange and pay for supervision directly. Below is a representative cost breakdown; contact the specific Alaska provider for current rates, since these figures are illustrative rather than a published Alaska schedule.
| Supervision Type | Typical Hourly/Per-Visit Cost | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Monitored Exchange | $35-$50 per exchange | Supervised pickup/drop-off only |
| Nonprofessional (family member) | $0 (volunteer) | Court-approved relative observes |
| Minimal/Indirect Supervision | $45-$55 per hour | Monitor nearby, periodic check-ins |
| Direct Professional Supervision | $65-$90 per hour | Trained monitor observes entire visit |
| Therapeutic Supervision | $80-$125 per hour | Licensed clinician facilitates |
As of January 2026. Costs are illustrative; verify current rates with each Alaska provider.
Where Supervised Visitation Happens in Alaska
Supervised visitation in Alaska occurs at professional visitation centers, in approved private homes, or in neutral public settings, depending on the court order and available resources. Because Alaska spans vast rural areas with limited providers, courts often approve a trusted relative or family friend as a nonprofessional supervisor when no visitation center operates nearby.
In larger communities like Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau, families have access to dedicated visitation centers and private supervision services with trained staff who document each session. In remote villages and rural boroughs, professional supervision may be unavailable, so AS 25.24.150(j)'s "where reasonably available" language becomes significant — the court adapts the order to local realities. When a professional monitor is not accessible, judges commonly name a specific approved supervisor in the order and require visits to occur in a safe, neutral location. The Alaska Court System's Family Law Self-Help Center can direct self-represented parents to current local providers. Because Alaska is rolling out TrueFiling e-filing statewide through 2026, parents can increasingly file motions to establish or modify visitation electronically, though the visits themselves always occur in person.
How to Request Supervised Visitation in Alaska
To request supervised visitation in Alaska, a parent files a motion in the superior court asking the judge to restrict the other parent's visitation and presents evidence supporting the safety concern. The court weighs the request against the best-interests factors in AS 25.24.150(c) and, if a domestic violence history is proven under AS 25.24.150(h), must order supervised access.
The process typically follows these steps:
- File a custody petition or motion. Either parent may petition the superior court for a custody and visitation determination under AS 25.20.060, or file a motion to modify an existing order.
- Present evidence. Provide police reports, protective orders, medical records, witness testimony, or documentation of substance abuse. A criminal conviction is not required to prove domestic violence.
- Attend the hearing. The judge evaluates the evidence under the nine best-interests factors and the domestic violence presumption.
- Receive the visitation order. If supervised visitation is ordered, the decree specifies the type, duration, location, supervisor, and any conditions such as completing a batterer intervention program.
- Arrange supervision. The ordered parent contacts an approved provider or confirms the court-named supervisor.
Alaska's $250 filing fee applies to divorce and dissolution petitions, and fee waivers are available for parents at or below 125% of federal poverty guidelines using Form TF-920. The Family Law Self-Help Center offers free forms and guidance for parents without attorneys.
Modifying or Ending Supervised Visitation in Alaska
Supervised visitation in Alaska can be modified or lifted when a parent demonstrates changed circumstances and shows that expanded contact serves the child's best interests. Under AS 25.20.110, a court may modify custody or visitation if it finds a change in circumstances requiring modification. When domestic violence triggered the order, AS 25.24.150(j) allows a return to unsupervised visitation only after specific conditions are met.
To lift supervised visitation stemming from a domestic violence finding, the parent must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that they completed any required substance abuse treatment program, are not abusing alcohol or psychoactive drugs, do not pose a danger of mental or physical harm to the child, and that unsupervised visitation is in the child's best interests. Completing a batterer intervention program and a parenting education program is central to overcoming the presumption in AS 25.24.150(g). Courts often use a graduated approach: a parent who consistently attends supervised visits without incident may progress to monitored exchange, then to unsupervised daytime visits, and eventually to overnight parenting time. A finding that a new domestic violence crime occurred since the last order is itself treated as a change of circumstances under AS 25.20.110, which can trigger reimposition of supervision. Alaska courts require the parent seeking modification to file a formal motion and support it with evidence of rehabilitation.
Supervised Visitation and the Alaska Best-Interests Standard
Alaska courts anchor every supervised visitation decision in the nine best-interests factors of AS 25.24.150(c), which require judges to weigh the child's needs, each parent's capability, the child's preference where age-appropriate, and any history of domestic violence, abuse, or substance abuse. Supervised access is the mechanism courts use to satisfy these factors when direct unsupervised contact would endanger the child.
The statute directs the court to consider the physical, emotional, mental, religious, and social needs of the child and each parent's capacity and desire to meet them. It also weighs the length of time the child has lived in a stable environment and the value of continuity. When abuse is present, factors six and seven of AS 25.24.150(c) allow the court to discount a parent's willingness to foster a relationship with the other parent and to give significant weight to the documented violence. This is why supervised visitation frequently appears in the same orders that award sole custody to the non-offending parent. Alaska judges may consider only facts that directly affect the child's well-being, keeping the analysis focused on safety and stability rather than parental conduct that has no bearing on the child. The supervised visitation order becomes the tool that balances the child's right to a relationship with both parents against the child's paramount right to safety.