Quick answer: For Alaska child support, shared physical custody means the children live with a parent at least 30 and no more than 70 percent of the year, as the custody order says in writing. That is 110 to 255 overnights. Alaska has no general presumption of equal time: custody turns on the child’s best interests.
This Alaska parenting time calculator turns a schedule into overnights a year and a percentage, then compares it with the 30% line in Alaska Civil Rule 90.3. Enter the overnights in a 14-day cycle and any extra nights: the result is arithmetic, and the court decides custody and support.
Alaska parenting time and custody rules at a glance
| Rule | What Alaska says |
|---|---|
| Best interests | The court awards custody on the child’s best interests; neither parent is entitled to preference (AS 25.20.060(a)-(b)) |
| Shared custody | The court may award shared custody if it is in the child’s best interests, assuring frequent and continuing contact with each parent to the maximum extent possible (25.20.060(c)) |
| Child support line | Shared physical custody is 30% to 70% of the year, specified in writing in the order (Civil Rule 90.3(f)(1)) |
| During the case | The child has, to the greatest degree practical, equal access to both parents (25.20.070) |
| Domestic violence | A rebuttable presumption bars sole or joint custody for a parent with a history of perpetrating it (AS 25.24.150(g)) |
| Moving | We found no relocation notice statute; a move that needs a changed order is a modification (25.20.110(a)) |
How do custody and parenting time work in Alaska?
- Shared or sole custody. See shared versus sole custody in Alaska.
- Schedules. See parenting time schedules in Alaska.
- Moving with a child. See moving away with a child in Alaska.
What does this parenting time calculator check?
You enter the overnights the other parent has in a typical 14-day cycle and any extra overnights a year, such as summer and holidays. The calculator scales the cycle to 365 nights, adds the extras, and shows the overnights and percentage for each parent and whether they fall in the 30% to 70% range. If you enter the overnights actually used in the last 12 months, it also checks them against the 30% line, which matters because failing to exercise enough custody is grounds to modify support. It does not calculate child support: use the Alaska child support calculator for that, and the Alaska divorce timeline calculator for the dates of the case.
Frequently asked questions
Does Alaska presume equal parenting time?
No general presumption. The court decides custody on the child’s best interests and may award shared custody if that serves them.
How many overnights make custody shared in Alaska?
For child support, at least 30% and no more than 70% of the year, about 110 to 255 overnights, as written in the custody order.
What if a parent uses fewer overnights than the Alaska order gives?
A shared custody support order must say that failing to exercise enough custody to qualify is grounds for modification.
Does denied visitation raise Alaska child support?
No. Denial of visitation by the custodial parent is not cause to increase child support under the shared custody rule.
Does this Alaska calculator set child support?
No. It counts overnights; the Alaska child support calculator estimates the guideline amount.
Official sources
- AS 25.20.060: petition for award of child custody
- AS 25.20.090: factors for awarding shared custody
- AS 25.24.150: judgments for custody; domestic violence presumption
- Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure: Rule 90.3, child support awards
- AS 25.20.110: modification of custody or visitation
- AS 25.30.300: initial child custody jurisdiction