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Montana Family Law Help Center
Montana family-law information, forms, and resources in one place.
A place to start
Find the resource you need next.
Trying to figure out a Montana family-law issue can be frustrating. The official information you need may be spread across Montana Courts, Montana statutes, the Child Support Services Division, Montana Legal Help, and individual court forms and instructions. This Help Center brings those resources together and explains the process in plain English.
Whether you are trying to start a parenting plan, respond to one, change an existing plan, get divorced, understand child support, or find the right Montana family-law form, this is a place to start.
This is general legal information, not legal advice. Your circumstances may require legal advice from a Montana attorney. Using this website does not create an attorney-client relationship with Morgan Law PLLC.
What are you trying to do?
Start with the situation in front of you.
Respond to a parenting-plan case
The other parent filed a Petition for Parenting Plan and you need to respond.
View official forms and instructionsChange an existing parenting plan
You already have a plan, but circumstances have changed.
Learn about plan modificationEnforce an existing parenting plan
You have an order, but the other parent is not following it.
Find current court resourcesMove with your child
A proposed move may affect the child’s relationship with the other parent.
Review the Notice of Intent to Move resourcesWe agree on a parenting plan
You want to establish or amend a plan together.
Review current court resourcesParenting plans
Montana Child Custody & Parenting Time
Montana generally uses the term parenting plan in family-law proceedings involving children. A parenting plan addresses how parents will share time and responsibilities for their children. It can address parenting time, decision-making, holidays, transportation, communication, medical and educational matters, and other issues affecting the child’s care.
Montana courts determine parenting arrangements according to the best interests of the child and the factors identified by Montana law. Read the current best-interest factors in Montana Code Annotated.
Dissolution of marriage
Montana Divorce
A Montana divorce, legally called a dissolution of marriage, can involve several different issues. Depending on the circumstances, those may include:
- division of property and debts;
- parenting arrangements;
- child support;
- medical support;
- spousal maintenance; and
- other financial or family issues.
Divorce with children
If you are married and have minor children, the divorce process includes parenting and child-support issues in addition to ending the marriage. Montana Courts provides separate resources for dissolution cases involving children.
Joint divorce
If spouses agree about the issues involved in ending their marriage, Montana provides a joint-dissolution process in appropriate circumstances. Detailed eligibility should be reviewed against the current Montana Courts instructions.
Guidelines and worksheets
Montana Child Support
Child support is governed by Montana law and the Montana Child Support Guidelines. The guidelines use a formula that considers both parents’ income and other factors identified by Montana law. Montana’s current Child Support Services Division materials identify the current guideline tables as effective February 1, 2026.
Montana Family Law Forms
Montana Family Law Forms
Finding the correct form is often one of the first problems people encounter when representing themselves. Montana Courts provides official forms for parenting plans, divorce, child support, and other family-law matters.
A useful forms directory should answer more than “Where is the PDF?” It should help explain what a form is, when it is used, who normally files it, what happens next, and where to find the official Montana form. Morgan Law links to the official source rather than reproducing court forms on this website.
View official Montana parenting-plan forms and instructions.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a lawyer to file a parenting plan in Montana?
Not necessarily. Montana provides forms and instructions for people who represent themselves. Whether representing yourself is appropriate is a separate question. The facts of a particular case can make a family-law matter substantially more complicated than the forms themselves suggest.
Where do I file a parenting plan?
Parenting-plan documents are generally filed with the Clerk of District Court in the county where you or your children are living. Procedures can vary by judicial district, so check the current Montana Courts instructions and your local Clerk of District Court before filing.
Can I use Montana court forms without hiring a lawyer?
Yes. Montana provides official forms for people who represent themselves. But a form generally cannot tell you how the law applies to your particular facts. It is possible to complete a form correctly and still misunderstand the legal issue involved.
Is changing a parenting plan the same as enforcing one?
No. Modification asks the court to change an existing parenting plan. Enforcement generally addresses a situation where an existing court order is not being followed. Those are different legal problems and may involve different procedures.
Can a parenting plan be changed if the parents agree?
Montana provides processes for parents who agree as well as processes for situations in which the parents disagree. The appropriate procedure depends on the circumstances and the existing court order.
What if the other parent wants to move?
A move can have significant consequences for an existing parenting plan. Montana law has specific notice and court procedures when a parent’s change of residence affects the child’s contact with the other parent. In applicable cases, the process includes a Notice of Intent to Move and may require a motion to amend the residential schedule. Review the current Montana requirements before moving.
Where can I find official Montana parenting-plan forms?
The Montana Judicial Branch maintains the official statewide parenting-plan forms and instructions. The current parenting-plan resources include forms for starting a case, responding, proposing a parenting plan, interim parenting arrangements, mediation, hearings, and other stages of the process.
About this information
Use this as a starting point, then check the current source.
We built this resource to make Montana family-law information easier to find and understand. It is not intended to replace the Montana Courts, Montana statutes, court decisions, or other official sources. Laws, court rules, forms, procedures, and court decisions can change. We make reasonable efforts to keep this information current, but you should check the current official source before relying on information here.
Nothing on this website is legal advice for your particular situation. If you need advice about how Montana law applies to your circumstances, consult a Montana attorney.
Last reviewed: September 2026
Advice for your circumstances
Need advice about your particular situation?
General legal information can help you understand the process, but it cannot tell you how Montana law applies to the specific facts of your case. If you need legal advice about a Montana family-law matter, contact Morgan Law PLLC.