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Legal Information: Alaska

Divorce

Updated: 
December 7, 2020

What are the grounds for divorce in Alaska?

Grounds are legally acceptable reasons for a divorce. The judge can grant you a divorce for any of these reasons:

  • Your spouse failed to “consummate the marriage” (have sexual relations) at the beginning of the marriage that continues up until you file for divorce;
  • Adultery (your spouse cheats on you);
  • Your spouse is convicted of a felony;
  • Your spouse deserts you for a period of at least one year;
  • Your spouse:
    • Engages in cruel and inhuman treatment meant to harm your health or endanger your life;
    • Personally humiliates you to the point that it makes life burdensome; or
    • Has a temperament that is incompatible with yours;
  • Your spouse is habitually drunk and the drunkenness began after you were married and continued for 1 year before filing for divorce;
  • Institutionalization for mental illness for a period of at least 18 months before filing for divorce;
  • Your spouse is addicted to the habitual use of opium, morphine, cocaine, or a similar drug and the addiction started after you were married.1

1 Alaska Statute § 25.24.050

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