(a) Authorization for Telephonic, Video, or Internet Participation. The court may allow one or more parties, counsel, witnesses or the judge to participate telephonically in any hearing or deposition for good cause and in the absence of substantial prejudice to opposing parties. The court shall allow video or Internet testimony if the hearing or deposition involves the custody or visitation of a child of a parent who is deployed, as that term is defined in AS 25.20.095, at the request of the deployed parent. Authorization for a witness to telephonically participate in a deposition does not bar the witnesses’ testimony from being videotaped under Civil Rule 30.1; nor does it bar a party or attorney from being present at the site at which the witness is physically present.
Rule 99.Telephonic Participation in Civil Cases.
Last amended June 4, 2010 · Last verified July 6, 2026
In one sentenceRule 99 lets a court authorize telephonic, video, or internet participation in a hearing or deposition for good cause, sets the procedure a telephonic hearing must follow, and requires video or internet testimony on request in certain child-custody matters involving a deployed parent.
Full Text of Rule 99
(b) Procedure. The following procedure must be observed concerning telephonic participation in court hearings:
(1) Hearings involving telephonic participation must be scheduled in the same manner as other hearings.
(2) When telephonic participation is requested, the court, before the hearing, shall designate the party responsible for arranging the call and the party or parties responsible for payment of the call pursuant to Administrative Rule 48.
(3) Upon convening a telephonic proceeding, the judge shall:
(i) Recite the date, time, case name, case number, names and locations of parties and counsel, and the type of hearing;
(ii) Ascertain that all statements of all parties are audible to all participants;
(iii) Give instructions on how the hearing is to be conducted, including notice that in order to preserve the record speakers must identify themselves each time they speak.
(4) A verbatim record must be made in accord with Administrative Rule 35.
(c) The right of public access to court proceedings must be preserved in accordance with law.
Amendment History
(Added by SCO 623 effective June 15, 1985; amended by SCO 790 effective March 15, 1987; by SCO 922 effective January 15, 1989; and by SCO 1733 effective June 4, 2010)
Notes
Note: Chapter 44, section 4, SLA 2010 (HB 334), effective June 4, 2010, amended Civil Rule 99 relating to child custody, modification, and visitation standards for a military parent, as reflected in section 1 of this Order. The changes to Civil Rule 99 are adopted for the sole reason that the legislature has mandated the amendments.
Plain-English Summary
The court can allow a party, counsel, a witness, or the judge to participate by telephone in a hearing or deposition on a showing of good cause and without substantial prejudice to the opposing parties. The court must allow video or internet testimony, on the deployed parent's request, when a hearing or deposition involves the custody or visitation of a child of a parent who is deployed within the meaning of AS 25.20.095. Letting a witness participate by telephone in a deposition doesn't stop that testimony from being videotaped under Rule 30.1, and doesn't excuse a party or attorney from being present where the witness physically is.
A telephonic hearing is scheduled the same way as any other hearing, and before it the court designates who arranges the call and who pays for it under Administrative Rule 48. When the judge convenes the proceeding, the judge recites the date, time, case name and number, the parties' and counsel's names and locations, and the type of hearing; confirms every participant can be heard; and instructs the participants on how the hearing will run, including that speakers must identify themselves each time they speak to preserve the record. A verbatim record is made under Administrative Rule 35, and the public's right of access to the proceeding is preserved as the law otherwise requires.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I appear by phone instead of in person for a hearing?
The court can allow telephonic participation by a party, counsel, a witness, or the judge on a showing of good cause, as long as it won't substantially prejudice the other parties.
Is video testimony required in a custody case involving a deployed parent?
Yes — on the deployed parent's request, the court must allow video or internet testimony in a hearing or deposition involving that child's custody or visitation, when the parent meets the deployment definition in AS 25.20.095.
What has to happen when a judge starts a telephonic hearing?
The judge states the date, time, case name and number, the participants' names and locations, and the hearing type; confirms everyone can be heard; and instructs participants to identify themselves each time they speak so the record stays clear.
Source & verification. The rule text, Amendment History, and Notes are reproduced verbatim from the
official Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure (Alaska R. Civ. P. 99). 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: telephonic hearing Alaska civil rulevideo testimony deployed parent AlaskaRule 99 AlaskaAlaska R. Civ. P. 99