Child custody (also known as legal custody, conservatorship, or allocation of parenting time and responsibilities) refers to the legal possession, rights, and responsibilities for a minor child by the child’s birth or adoptive parents—including the right to make health care, religious, cultural, and education decisions about the child's upbringing.

During separation, and following divorce, a child’s natural parents often share custody of the child (shared custody or joint custody)—unless one or both of the child’s natural or adoptive parents are deemed to be unfit or pose a risk to the health, safety, and well-being of the child (the child’s best interests). If one of the parents is deemed unfit, the other parent may be awarded sole custody of the child. In some cases a parent who is not allowed to have custody of a child may be given visitation rights—sometimes under the supervision of another adult (supervised visitation). Child custody laws are usually located in your state’s statutes governing family and domestic matters, and may be referred to as the Family Code.

Child custody is distinct from guardianship of a child, which usually involves a relative or an unrelated person temporarily agreeing to take responsibility for a child following the death of the child’s birth or adoptive parents, or their abandonment. And adoption is taking full and permanent responsibility for a child by someone other than the child’s birth parents.

In Alaska, child custody laws are designed to ensure the best interests of the child are the primary consideration in custody and visitation matters. When parents separate or divorce, they can either agree on a custody arrangement or, if they cannot agree, the court will decide. Alaska recognizes both joint custody, where both parents share legal and physical custody, and sole custody, where only one parent has these responsibilities. The court considers various factors when determining custody, including the child's preference, the relationship between the child and each parent, and the ability of each parent to meet the child's needs. If a parent is deemed unfit due to reasons such as substance abuse, neglect, or abuse, they may lose custody rights, although they might be granted supervised visitation. Alaska's child custody laws are codified in Title 25 of the Alaska Statutes, which covers family law matters. Guardianship and adoption are separate legal processes from custody, with guardianship often being a temporary arrangement and adoption being a permanent legal transfer of parental rights to individuals other than the birth parents.