Co-parenting in Montana, without the 10 p.m. scramble
The school email. The $120 receipt. The pickup you have to confirm again. Hand Civly any of it as it arrived and it lands on one calendar both houses read — and if you ever need the record for District Court, where MT custody matters are heard, it's already there. You won't be building it at 10 p.m.
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District Court
handles custody in MT
Mont. Code § 40-4-212
custody statute
Montana custody law
Montana courts determine parenting arrangements based on the best interests of the child and encourage both parents to share in child-rearing.
What Montana courts consider in custody decisions
Montana courts consider factors under § 40-4-212 including the wishes of both parents, the wishes of the child, the interaction and interrelationship of the child with parents and siblings, the child's adjustment to home/school/community, the mental and physical health of all parties, physical abuse or threat of physical abuse by either parent against the other parent or the child, chemical dependency or chemical abuse on the part of either parent, continuity and stability of care, the developmental needs of the child, whether a parent has knowingly failed to pay birth-related costs without good cause, and whether a parent's excessive use of litigation has the effect of harassing the other party. Montana specifically includes 'adverse effects of the child's witnessing conflict' as a consideration.
How the custody process works in Montana
Montana custody cases are filed in District Court. Under § 40-4-234, parents are required to submit a proposed parenting plan that addresses the child's residential schedule, decision-making authority for healthcare/education/religious training, and a dispute resolution process. If parents cannot agree on a plan, each must submit their own proposed plan and the court will impose one after a hearing. Montana offers court-connected mediation services and judges may order parents to attempt mediation before trial.
Key Montana custody statutes
- Mont. Code § 40-4-212
- Mont. Code § 40-4-234
- Mont. Code § 40-4-219
How Civly helps Montana parents
One week, both houses, one version
Paste the school email or a calendar link and the events build themselves. Color-coded custody schedule from your own parenting plan. Share a read-only link with grandparents, attorneys, or mediators.
Say it how it comes out. Send the calm version.
Type or speak what you really feel — Civly writes the calm version — the one you would not cringe at if it were read back later. Your vent stays private and never enters an export. What you send is what gets kept.
Snap the receipt, skip the math
Snap a receipt or forward an email. AI extracts the amount. Your co-parent approves or disputes. Everything documented, timestamped, and exportable for your attorney.
Records your attorney can work with
Every message is timestamped, and exports as a certified PDF with a SHA-256 hash and a code anyone can check at civly.com/verify. How to present it in Montana's District Court system is your attorney's call, and whether a record is admitted is always the court's decision.
Pricing comparison
Civly
$79/year
or $7.99/month
- AI message rewriting
- Custody calendar
- Expense tracking
- Timestamped PDF exports
- Certified exports with verification codes
OurFamilyWizard Essentials
$149.99/year
Their cheapest tier that includes Writing Assistant. Cheaper OFW tiers exist without it. Per parent, list price August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
You don't need their agreement to start
Set up the calendar, log what's owed, draft the message you have to send tonight. Invite them when you're ready — the shared parts switch on the day they join.
Start tonight — $79/year30-day money-back guarantee. Available in every state.
Civly is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice. Custody law and the rules of evidence vary from state to state, and individual judges apply them differently. For advice about your own case, speak to a family law attorney licensed in Montana. Civly launched in 2026 and is not named in many court orders yet — if your order already requires a specific platform, keep using it and ask your attorney before switching.