Opinion
AF 11-0765
06-30-2023
ACCESS TO JUSTICE COMMISSION: IN RE THE ADOPTION OF GUIDELINES FOR ESTABLISHING INFORMAL DOMESTIC RELATIONS TRIALS
ORDER
On August 27, 2021, on Petition of the Access to Justice Commission and recommendations of a working group of district court judges and others, this Court entered an Order authorizing a pilot project with temporary guidelines for district courts wishing to participate in informal domestic relations trials (IDRT) within their jurisdictions. The Court requested that districts participating in the pilot program report back to the Court and make recommendations regarding the continuation, adaptation, or suspension of the pilot projects.
On May 26, 2023, the IDRT Program Administrator submitted a report on the program, which was followed on June 23, 2023, by an Addendum with several recommendations from some of the participating pilot judges. Having reviewed the report and recommendations, the Court finds it appropriate, as indicated in its 2021 Order, to invite public comment and afford the Access to Justice Commission an opportunity to provide additional feedback from other interested stakeholders.
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the Court will accept public comment for a period of 45 days from the date of this Order regarding the Informal Domestic Relations Trials program and the recommendations submitted.
This Order, the Court's August 17, 2021 Order and attached guidelines, and the Report and Addendum submitted by the IDRT Program Administrator will be published on this Court's website. In addition, the Clerk is directed to provide copies to: the State Bar of Montana with the request that they be posted on the State Bar's website; the State Law Library; the Office of the Court Administrator for dissemination to all District Court Judges; the members of the Access to Justice Commission; the Executive Director of the Montana Legal Services Association; the President of the University of Great Falls; and the Dean of the Alexander Blewett III School of Law.