Alaska

JURISDICTIONAL END OF MARRIAGE DATE: Date of Separation. If there is no Separation Date use current date

STATE TYPE FOR PENSION DISTRIBUTION: Alaska is an "equitable distribution" state. Alaska is an equitable distribution state, which means that the court will divide the marital property between the parties as it deems equitable and just, without regard to fault. Factors the court will consider in dividing the property include:

1. The length of the marriage. 2. The age and health of the parties. 3. The earning capacity of the parties. 4. The financial condition of the parties. 5. The conduct of the parties, including whether there has been an unreasonable depletion of marital assets. 6. The desirability of awarding the family home, or the right to live in it for a reasonable period of time to the party with custody of the child, if any. 7. The circumstances and necessities of each party. 8. The time and manner of acquisition of the property in question. 9. The income producing capacity of the property and the value of the property at the time of division.

[Alaska Statutes; Sections 25.24.160 and 25.24.230].

ALASKA STAT. § 25.24.160

(a) In a judgment in an action for divorce or action declaring a marriage void or at any time after judgment, the court may provide

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(3) for the delivery to either party of that party's personal property in the possession or control of the other party at the time of giving the judgment;

(4) for the division between the parties of their property, including retirement benefits, whether joint or separate, acquired only during marriage, in a just manner and without regard to which of the parties is in fault; however, the court, in making the division, may invade the property, including retirement benefits, of either spouse acquired before marriage when the balancing of the equities between the parties requires it; and to accomplish this end the judgment may require that one or both of the parties assign, deliver, or convey any of their real or personal property, including retirement benefits, to the other party; the division of property must fairly allocate the economic effect of divorce by being based on consideration of the following factors:

(A) the length of the marriage and station in life of the parties during the marriage;

(B) the age and health of the parties;

(C) the earning capacity of the parties, including their educational backgrounds, training, employment skills, work experiences, length of absence from the job market, and custodial responsibilities for children during the marriage;

(D) the financial condition of the parties, including the availability and cost of health insurance;

(E) the conduct of the parties, including whether there has been unreasonable depletion of marital assets;

(F) the desirability of awarding the family home, or the right to live in it for a reasonable period of time, to the party who has primary physical custody of children;

(G) the circumstances and necessities of each party;

(H) the time and manner of acquisition of the property in question; and

(I) the income-producing capacity of the property and the value of the property at the time of division.

(b) If a judgment under this section distributes benefits to an alternate payee under AS 14.25, AS 21.51.120(a), AS 21.54.020(g), 21.54.050(c), AS 22.25, AS 26.05.222-26.05.226, or AS 39.35, the judgment must meet the requirements of a qualified domestic relations order under the definition of that phrase that is applicable to those provisions.

(c) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, if one of the parties to an action for divorce or action declaring a marriage void expressly submits to the court the issue of property division and has not withdrawn that issue from the court before judgment, the court shall provide in the judgment for the division of property and may not reserve the issue of property division for a later time unless the conditions of AS 25.24.155 have been met.

Delayed repeal of subsection (d). - Under §§ 14 and 17, ch. 54, SLA 2001, subsection (d) is repealed July 1, 2003.

(e) When distributing property identified as community property under a community property agreement or trust under AS 34.77, unless the parties have provided in the agreement or trust for another disposition of the community property, the court shall make such disposition of the community property as shall appear just and equitable after considering all relevant factors, including

(1) the nature and extent of the community property;

(2) the nature and extent of the separate property;

(3) the duration of the marriage; and

(4) the economic circumstances of each spouse at the time the division of property is to become effective, including the desirability of awarding the family home or right to live in the family home for reasonable periods to a spouse with whom the children reside the majority of the time.

Alaska STAT. § 30-2-51

Judgment. a) In a judgment in an action for divorce or action declaring a marriage void or at any time after judgment, the court may provide

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4) for the division between the parties of their property, including retirement benefits, whether joint or separate, acquired only during marriage, in a just manner and without regard to which of the parties is in fault; however, the court, in making the division, may invade the property, including retirement benefits, of either spouse acquired before marriage when the balancing of the equities between the parties requires it; and to accomplish this end the judgment may require that one or both of the parties assign, deliver, or convey any of their real or personal property, including retirement benefits, to the other party; the division of property must fairly allocate the economic effect of divorce by being based on consideration of the following factors:

(A) the length of the marriage and station in life of the parties during the marriage;

(B) the age and health of the parties;

(D) the financial condition of the parties, including the availability and cost of health insurance;

(E) the conduct of the parties, including whether there has been unreasonable depletion of marital assets;

(F) the desirability of awarding the family home, or the right to live in it for a reasonable period of time, to the party who has primary physical custody of children;

(G) the circumstances and necessities of each party;

(H) the time and manner of acquisition of the property in question; and

(I) the income-producing capacity of the property and the value of the property at the time of division.

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(d) For each judgment issued under this section, the court shall include in the records relating to the matter the social security numbers, if ascertainable, of the following persons:

(1) each party to the action;

(2) each child whose rights are addressed in the judgment.

(1) the nature and extent of the community property;

(2) the nature and extent of the separate property;

(3) the duration of the marriage; and

ALASKA STAT. § 34.77.010

Good faith requirement. A spouse shall act in good faith with respect to the other spouse in matters involving community property. The obligation under this section may not be varied by a community property agreement or a community property trust.

ALASKA STAT. § 34.77.020

Variation by marital property agreement. Except as provided in AS 34.77.010, 34.77.070(h), 34.77.080(b), and 34.77.090(c), a community property agreement or a community property trust may vary the effect of this chapter.

ALASKA STAT. § 34.77.030

Classification of property of spouses. (a) Except for property that is classified otherwise in this chapter, property of spouses is community property under this chapter only to the extent provided in a community property agreement or a community property trust.

(b) If a community property agreement provides that all property acquired by either or both spouses during the marriage is community property, the property of the spouses acquired during the marriage and after the determination date is presumed to be community property.

(d) If the community property agreement provides that all property acquired by either or both spouses during the marriage is community property, income earned or accrued by a spouse or attributable to property of a spouse during marriage and after the determination date is community property.

(e) Community property transferred to a trust remains community property.

(f) Whether or not the community property agreement provides that all property acquired by either or both spouses during the marriage is community property, property that is owned by a spouse at the time of a marriage but before the determination date is not community property except to the extent otherwise expressly provided in the community property agreement.

(g) Whether or not the community property agreement provides that all property acquired by either or both spouses during the marriage is community property, and except to the extent otherwise expressly provided in the community property agreement, property acquired by a spouse during marriage and after the determination date is individual property if acquired

(1) by gift or a disposition at death made by a third person to the spouse and not to both spouses;

(2) in exchange for or with the proceeds of other individual property of the spouse;

(3) from appreciation or income of the spouse's individual property except to the extent that the income or appreciation is classified as community property under AS 34.77.130;

(4) by a decree, community property agreement, written consent, or reclassification under AS 34.77.060(b) designating it as the individual property of the spouse;

(5) as a recovery for damage to property under AS 34.77.140, except as specifically provided otherwise in a decree, community property agreement, or written consent; or

(6) as a recovery for personal injury, except for the amount of the recovery attributable to expenses paid or otherwise satisfied from community property.

(h) Appreciation and income of property transferred to a community property trust is community property if declared in the trust to be community property.

(i) Community property held by a community property trust or another trust remains community property of the spouses if distributed to the spouses.

(j) Except as provided otherwise in this chapter, this chapter does not alter the classification and ownership rights of property acquired before or during the marriage.

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