Tools for Billings Guardians ad Litem, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the Billings families you work with, whether you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

Families in Billings who end up in the Thirteenth Judicial District Court rarely arrive at a mediation, a therapy session, or a home visit with their records in order. FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform built for those parents. Below is what it does for them, what it means for you as a guardian ad litem, therapist, or mediator, and what to know about family court in Billings.

Montana uses its own words, "parenting" where many states say custody and "parenting time" where they say visitation, and the tools follow Montana's terms so the papers parents bring you read the way the court reads them.

Area covered: Yellowstone County.

Court for custody cases: Thirteenth Judicial District Court (Yellowstone County).

Appointed for the child: Guardian ad litem.

Custody mediation: Depends on the county or judge (Family law mediation).

Parenting class: Depends on the county or judge (Parenting plan orientation or education program).

State family law: Montana Code Title 40 - Family Law.

What Montana calls custody: parenting.

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For guardians ad litem in Billings

In Montana, the court can appoint a guardian ad litem in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

On FamilyCourtHelp.com you see what a parent chooses to share. A parent can invite you into the co-parent conversation with a single-use link, which you accept with your own free account; from there you can read the thread, post in it, and review the shared calendar's requests and approvals. A parent can also share the parenting plan with you to read and comment on.

For therapists and counselors in Billings

Court-involved and reunification therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators in Billings do not get an account view here, and that is deliberate: each parent keeps their own record and chooses what to bring you. The free messenger keeps the week's facts in one time-stamped thread, and its Tone Meter flags a heated message and suggests a calmer one before it is sent.

For mediators and parenting coordinators in Billings

In Montana, custody mediation is set county by county. The details are in the FAQ below.

Sessions in Billings start further along when the draft is already on the table. Parents can share their parenting plan with you to read and comment on, and invite you into their conversation with a single-use link. Agreements then live in one time-stamped thread, and every schedule change is a request on the shared calendar that the other parent approves or declines.

Family court in Billings: what to know

Custody cases in Billings are heard in the Thirteenth Judicial District Court.

If you searched for a guardian ad litem, a family therapist, or a custody mediator in Billings, the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents in Billings: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

Yellowstone: Yellowstone County Self-Help Law Center, (406) 869-3531. Free help with divorce, custody and other civil court forms for people without a lawyer, in person or by phone.

Yellowstone legal aid: Montana Legal Services Association, (800) 666-6899.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard in Billings?

Divorce and parenting plan cases in Billings are heard by the Thirteenth Judicial District Court, which covers Yellowstone County. Under its local rules, these cases are handled in its Family Court, and a judge may require parents to take education courses or use dispute resolution.

Where can parents in Billings get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer: Yellowstone County Self-Help Law Center. Free legal aid: Montana Legal Services Association. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation in Billings?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session.

What does a guardian ad litem do in a Billings custody case?

A Montana court may appoint a guardian ad litem to represent a child's interests on support, parenting and parental contact, and must appoint one when abuse or neglect is alleged. The guardian ad litem investigates, talks with or observes the child, and writes reports for the court. You may also see "GAL". The rule is in Mont. Code Ann. 40-4-205. This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in Montana?

A Montana district court may at any time consider requiring parents to mediate, and either parent may ask the court to order it. If the court suspects abuse by one parent, mediation can go forward only with each parent's written, informed consent.

Do parents in Montana have to take a parenting class?

Montana law lets district courts require parents in divorce and parenting plan cases to attend a parenting education program. Whether it is required depends on the judicial district and its local rules.