Alaska Divorce Checklist: What to Do Before You File

Why a Pre-Filing Checklist Matters

The most common delays in Alaska divorce cases aren't legal disputes — they're administrative. A missing form, an unsigned affidavit, or an incomplete financial disclosure sends filers back to step one, sometimes weeks into the process. The goal of a pre-filing checklist is to handle the organizational work before you submit anything to the court, so the case moves forward without backtracking.

Step 1: Confirm Your Residency Status

Alaska has no durational residency requirement. You qualify to file the moment you're physically present in the state with the intent to make Alaska your permanent home. Active-duty military qualify after 30 days continuously stationed at an Alaska installation under AS § 25.24.900.

But residency for the divorce itself is different from jurisdiction over children. If you have minor children, the court needs UCCJEA jurisdiction — which requires the children to have lived in Alaska for at least six consecutive months. Verify both before filing.

Step 2: Choose Your Filing Track

Alaska offers two paths:

• Joint dissolution — both spouses agree on all terms, sign together, file together. Faster (30–60 days), less paperwork, no service of process required. Use Packet DR-1 (with children) or DR-2 (without).
• Divorce — one spouse files alone, serves the other. The defendant can cooperate (uncontested) or fight (contested). Use Packet SHC-PAC1A (with children) or SHC-PAC1B (without).

If you're both in agreement right now, dissolution is almost always the better choice. If there's any uncertainty about whether your spouse will cooperate, file for divorce — you can always settle later, but you can't start a dissolution without both signatures.

Step 3: Gather Your Financial Documents

Even if your case is simple, you'll need financial information for the filing — and in a unilateral divorce, Civil Rule 26.1 requires a full disclosure exchange within 45 days of the defendant filing an Answer. Start collecting now:

• Three years of federal tax returns (or W-2s and 1099s if returns weren't filed)
• Two months of pay stubs from all income sources
• Three months of bank and investment account statements
• Retirement account statements (401k, IRA, PERS, TRS, military pension)
• Outstanding debt documentation — credit cards, mortgages, car loans, student loans, with current balances
• Property valuations — recent appraisals, mortgage payoff statements, vehicle values

If children are involved, you'll also need income data to complete the Child Support Guidelines Affidavit (Form DR-305) under Civil Rule 90.3.

Step 4: Set Up Your TrueFiling Account

Under Administrative Bulletin 92, self-represented litigants are required to file electronically through TrueFiling (akfile.truefiling.com) when it is available for their case type and court location, unless they qualify for an exemption. Exemptions apply if you're incarcerated, have an ADA-qualifying disability, lack safe access to a computer or the internet, cannot get the help needed to use TrueFiling, or face a language barrier.

If you're filing electronically, create your TrueFiling account before you finalize your documents. The system requires you to upload all forms as a single PDF bundle, and you'll pay the $250 filing fee by debit or credit card through the portal.

If you're exempt from e-filing, check the exemption box on your petition or complaint and plan to file in person at the Superior Court clerk's office or by mail.

Step 5: Prepare for the Filing Fee

The standard filing fee is $250 under Administrative Rule 9. If you can't afford it, complete the Request and Order for Exemption from Payment of Fees (Form TF-920) and attach it to your filing. The court will hold your case until a judge grants or denies the exemption — if denied, you have 30 days to pay or the case is dismissed.

Payment options: credit/debit card (through TrueFiling or in person), cash (in person only), or check made payable to "State of Alaska" (in person or by mail).

Step 6: Plan for Service of Process (Divorce Track Only)

If you're filing a divorce complaint (not a joint dissolution), you need a plan for serving your spouse. Options under Civil Rule 4:

• Certified mail — restricted delivery, return receipt requested, addressee only
• Private process server — costs $40–$150 in urban areas; can run $500+ in remote bush communities
• If your spouse can't be found — you'll need to file for alternate service (posting on the court's legal notice website for four weeks)

You have 120 days from the summons being issued to complete service. Don't wait until day 100 to start.

Step 7: If You Have Children — Extra Forms

Parents need three additional documents:

• DR-150 — Child Custody Jurisdiction Affidavit
• DR-305 — Child Support Guidelines Affidavit
• A parenting plan — covering legal custody, physical custody schedule, holidays, transportation, and communication protocols

Have these drafted before you file. They're required in the initial packet for a dissolution, and they'll be needed shortly after filing for a divorce.

The Pre-Filing Checklist in One Place

The Alaska Divorce Filing Process Guide includes a printable pre-filing checklist, a jurisdictional eligibility worksheet, and a document assembly checklist — designed to make sure everything is organized before you submit your first form to the court.

See more Alaska guides →