The Alaska Court System Presiding Judges have issued an order including information that child custody orders remain in effect and that parents cannot make unilateral changes to custody orders. The order offers the following guidance:
- If your custodial schedule is tied to the school year, parents should maintain the school year schedule even if children are doing online school. The triggering of what would be the summer schedule will depend upon whether the school year is resumed during part of the normal summer schedule.
- If a parent is put in mandatory quarantine while the other parent is exercising court-ordered custody/visitation, then the non-quarantined parent should keep the child until the other parent is out of mandatory quarantine and the quarantined parent should be allowed to get make up time.
- If a parent is self-quarantining, the parents should follow the regular custody schedule.
- If a parent tests positive for the virus, the parties should follow the advice of their health care providers.
- Parents are advised to work together to resolve unique problems and memorialize their agreements in writing if they do.
- If parents cannot reach agreement and there is a concern about the health and safety of a parent or child due to the COVD-19 virus, a parent can request that the court decide the issue, but parents should expect abnormal delays in courts deciding motions or scheduling emergency hearings.