Montana Divorce Forms: Complete List and How to Fill Them Out

Montana's Supreme Court Commission on Self-Represented Litigants publishes every dissolution form you need — for free — at courts.mt.gov/forms/end_marriage. The forms use the "MP" numbering system, and the one thing the court website won't give you is a clear explanation of which forms go in what order, or how to actually complete them without getting rejected at the clerk's window.

Here's every form you're likely to need, organized by when you'll use it.

The Initial Filing Packet

MP-112 (Petition for Dissolution — No Children): The petition that officially starts your case. You'll state your grounds (irretrievable breakdown under MCA § 40-4-107), confirm residency, and identify assets and debts. Every blank field must be filled in or marked "N/A" — the clerk will reject forms with empty fields.

MP-113 (Petition for Dissolution — With Children): Same as MP-112 but includes sections for child custody, parenting time, and child support. If you have minor children, you must use this form instead.

MP-400 (Summons and Automatic Economic Restraining Order): This is both your summons and the AERO that freezes asset transfers. The clerk issues it when you file your petition.

MP-500 (Proposed Property Distribution): Your proposed division of all assets and debts. Montana is an "all-property" state under MCA § 40-4-202, meaning the court can divide everything — including premarital assets and inheritances.

MP-510 (Preliminary Income and Expense Disclosure): A detailed financial snapshot. This form is served on your spouse but never filed with the court to protect financial privacy. Both parties must complete their own MP-510.

Joint Filing Forms

MP-115 (Joint Petition — No Children): For couples filing together who have no minor children. Bypasses the need for formal service of process entirely.

MP-116 (Joint Petition — With Children): Same as MP-115 but requires an attached parenting plan (MP-300 series) and child support worksheets.

Service and Response Forms

MP-401 (Request for Sheriff to Serve): Submit this to the sheriff's civil division along with your filing packet if you're using sheriff service. Fees run approximately $50.

MP-403.1 / MP-403.2 (Notice and Acknowledgment of Service): The mail-service option. You send MP-403.1 with your documents via first-class mail, and the respondent has 21 days to sign and return MP-403.2. If they don't return it, you'll need to switch to personal service.

MP-201 (Response to Petition): The respondent files this within 21 days of being served. Filing the response costs $70 ($60 appearance fee plus $10 technology fee), unless a fee waiver is approved.

Finalization Forms

MP-701 (Request for Hearing or Entry of Default): Used to request either a final hearing or entry of default if the respondent didn't file a response.

MP-713 (Decree of Dissolution — No Children) / MP-703 (With Children): The final decree that dissolves the marriage. In uncontested cases, both parties can submit a Joint Affidavit requesting the judge sign this without a hearing.

MP-704 (Notice of Entry of Decree): Filed after the judge signs the decree. This starts the 30-day appeal window.

Tips to Avoid Clerk Rejections

The Clerk of District Court will reject your filing for minor errors. The most common: leaving fields blank instead of writing "N/A," using outdated form versions, submitting the wrong number of copies (prepare the original plus two copies), and missing signatures.

Download the most current versions directly from courts.mt.gov — not from third-party template sites, which often carry outdated Montana forms.

The Montana Divorce Filing Process Guide includes a pre-filing inspection checklist that mirrors the clerk's review process, so you catch errors before you're standing at the courthouse window.

See more Montana guides →