Sweet Grass County District Court, Montana Pre-Motion Conference Requirements

CRITICAL

The parties must confer within 30 days to set temporary child support and a parenting schedule; either party may request a hearing by motion if a dispute remains.

The parties shall confer within 30 days to set a temporary amount of child support and temporary parenting schedule. In the event of a dispute as to either the appropriate temporary custodial parent or the appropriate amount of payments, either party may file a motion with the Court requesting a hearing on the matters in dispute.

CRITICAL

Parties must meet and confer about discovery disputes; after an unsuccessful meet-and-confer, either party may arrange an informal court conference, and may submit helpful materials beforehand.

D. Discovery Conference. In the event of a discovery dispute, the parties shall meet and confer to attempt to resolve the dispute. If the parties do not resolve the dispute after a meet and confer, whether or not a Motion is filed, either party may contact the Court Administrator to arrange an informal discovery conference with the Court. When the Order setting the informal discovery conference is entered, briefing on any filed Motion is held in abeyance. Any party may provide to the court, in advance of the informal discovery conference, documents and/or legal authority that may assist the Court in understanding the dispute. If the informal discovery conference does not resolve the discovery dispute, the discovery motion may be filed, stating with specificity the matters upon which the motion is based.

CRITICAL

Before filing a motion under Rules 26 through 37, counsel must confer about all disputed issues or the Court will deny the motion.

The Court will deny any motion pursuant to Rules 26 through 37 of the M.R.Civ.P., unless counsel shall have conferred concerning all disputed issues before the motion is filed.

WARNING

For motions other than those under Rule 56(c)(2)(A), a party must request oral argument or the Court will rule on the written documents alone.

Oral arguments on all other motions must be requested by a party, or the court shall rule on written documents alone.

WARNING

Briefing on a filed discovery motion is held in abeyance when the order setting an informal discovery conference is entered.

When the Order setting the informal discovery conference is entered, briefing on any filed Motion is held in abeyance.

WARNING

If opposing counsel willfully refuses or fails to confer after the moving party seeks a conference, the Court may order payment of reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees.

If counsel for the moving party seeks to arrange such a conference, and opposing counsel willfully refuses or fails to confer, the Court may order the payment of reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, pursuant to M.R.Civ.P. 37(a)(4).