When an order is made in favor of a person who is not a party to the action, the person may enforce obedience to the order by the same process as a party; and, when obedience to an order may be lawfully enforced against a person who is not a party, that person is liable to the same process for enforcing obedience to the order as a party.
Rule 71.Process in Behalf of and Against Persons Not Parties.
Last amended July 15, 1994 · Last verified July 6, 2026
In one sentenceRule 71 lets someone who isn't a party enforce a court order made in their favor, and lets that order be enforced against them, on the same terms as if they were a party.
Full Text of Rule 71
Amendment History
(Adopted by SCO 5 October 9, 1959; amended by SCO 1153 effective July 15, 1994)
Plain-English Summary
When a court order favors someone who isn't a party to the action, that person can enforce it by the same process a party would use. The reverse holds too: when an order could lawfully be enforced against someone who isn't a party, that person is subject to the same enforcement process as a party would be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone who isn't a party to a lawsuit enforce a court order made in their favor?
Yes — Rule 71 lets a non-party enforce an order in their favor using the same process a party would use.
Can a court order be enforced against someone who was never a party to the case?
Yes, if the order could lawfully be enforced against that person, they're subject to the same enforcement process as a party.
Source & verification. The rule text, Amendment History, and Notes are reproduced verbatim from the
official Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure (Alaska R. Civ. P. 71). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Alaska (Alaska Const. art. IV, § 15). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 6, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: non-party enforcement Alaska rulethird party process Alaska civil caseenforcing an order against a non-party AlaskaAlaska R. Civ. P. 71