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Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Trying to find your Montana court case records...

Summary: If you’re being sued in Montana, you can look up your case status at the courthouse or by calling your court clerk. If your case is in the Supreme Court, Montana has an online tool where you can check your court case status. Staying updated on your case will increase your chances of winning. Use SoloSuit to respond to a debt lawsuit and fight off debt collectors.

Fighting a debt collector in court is stressful and can feel unpredictable. The thought of a court ruling in favor of the collection agency can cause anxiety and panic if you do not know how to handle the pending case.

Staying updated on your case status is an important step to winning your lawsuit. Accessing your court records will help you feel more prepared to respond and go to court. Fortunately, Montana allows its citizens to view their case records by visiting the courthouse where the case was filed or, in limited cases, online.

Debt collectors know that consumers feel helpless when taken to court. They hope that the debtor will not show up or do a poor job arguing their case. In this article, SoloSuit will help you level the playing field with debt collectors by informing you how the court system in Montana works and how you can access your court records.

Court structure in Montana

You won’t be able to look up your court records if you don’t know which court has jurisdiction over your case. Understanding how Montana’s courts are structured will help you figure out where your case is filed and how to contact that courthouse.

Montana's judicial system successfully performs its roles by dividing its courts into various levels. Since debt collection lawsuits are considered civil cases, we will focus on civil court jurisdiction in this section. Each court level has particular types of civil cases they hear as per the constitutional law. These courts include:

Supreme Court: This is the highest court in Montana and gives the final decisions for cases. The court has both original and appellate jurisdiction. They hear appeals by permission for civil cases that originated in the District Courts.

District Courts: These trial courts have general jurisdiction and handle all civil cases with no monetary limit. District Courts also have limited appellate jurisdiction over cases from the lower courts.

Justice’s Court: These courts handle civil cases for monetary value not exceeding $12,000, and small claims cases of up to $7,000.

If you’re being sued in Montana, your debt collection case will probably be filed in the Justice Court in your county. If you do not have a copy of the lawsuit to confirm the court name, check with the Justice clerk of the court. Parties in small claims cases in Montana can represent themselves. How well you prepare will determine the outcome of your case.

The graphic below further outlines Montana’s civil court structure:

mt court structure

Check out this video for some tips on how to build a solid case against debt collectors:

How to find your court case number in Montana

Knowing your case number simplifies the process of finding your court records in Montana. Every courthouse assigns a number to every matter that is presented to the court clerk for filing. The number can be derived from the following:

The case type
The year the lawsuit was filed
The court type
The county initials
The sequential number of cases for that year

To find your case number in Montana, you’ll have to go to the courthouse where the case was filed and give the court custodian your details either verbally or in written form. They will search for the records in their system and make copies for you. Find your court's location using the Montana courts directory.

Parties with cases in the Supreme Court can find their case number in the Supreme court’s online portal. The only requirement is to enter your details using the name or attorney search option. The results will bring the cases that closely match the search.

How to access your court case records in Montana

You will be on your way to feeling in control of your case when you access your court records. Having crucial details of your case can help you prepare for court. It also assists you in confirming the information the court received is accurate. Incorrect information can be used against the collection agency with the proper strategy.

Access your court case records in-person

Montana provides one option for citizens to access their case records in the lower courts—to physically visit the courthouse. The court clerks are well-equipped to access your records within minutes, especially if you have your case number. You could still access your court documents using basic information such as:

Your name and birth date
Creditors name
Date the case was filed
Case type and status

To find your court's location, go to the Montana court locator tool and select the option you'd like to search with; by county or city. Click the go now button once you choose, and you'll be taken to a page with the courts' contact information.

Once in the courthouse, you’ll be required to complete a written request and may be charged a small fee for the clerk to make copies and certify the documents.

Let’s take a look at an example.

Example: Chris had a debt with CB1 Collections of $1,960. He tried to settle the debt with the original creditor but found out they had hired CB1 to collect on their behalf. CB1 refused to listen to his pleas that he couldn't pay the whole amount. Instead, they delivered a lawsuit to his home. Chris wisely responded to the suit by filing an Answer within 21 days. He started preparing for court and needed to access all the records filed in the court. Hence, he went online and located the Cascade City Court on the court locator page. Next, he visited the courthouse and requested the records. The court clerk gave him the documents after he paid $5 for the services and copies. Then, Chris used SoloSuit to respond to the lawsuit before the deadline.

Access your court records online

Unfortunately, Montana’s official government website does not provide online court case access except for the Supreme Court records. The only option available is to acquire them in person. However, if your case is in the Supreme Court, go to the Supreme Court public view docket search and use the party, attorney, or case number search option. You’ll have to visit the courthouse to get the copies if you require detailed records.

SoloSuit is here to help you

We understand the struggle consumers go through to manage their debt situation. Hence, we developed remarkable software that helps consumers draft documents to deal with debt collectors and collection lawsuits. These documents include:

Debt Validation Letter: When debt collectors initially reach out, send them this letter to force them to validate your debt. If they cannot prove that you owe the exact amount they claim, with proper documentation and evidence, then they must cease contacting you.

Answer: If you have been sued for a debt you owe, the first step to winning your case is to respond to the lawsuit. You can draft and file your Answer with your court in minutes with SoloSuit’s services.

Motion to Compel Arbitration: If you owe a credit card debt and are being sued for it, check your card agreement for an arbitration clause. If the clause exists, you can file a motion to force the case out of court and have an arbitrator help you reach a debt settlement with the opposing party.

Solosettle: When you know you owe the money that you’re being sued over, and you have enough on hand to pay some of it off, reaching a debt settlement is a great option. This tool will help you start the debt settlement negotiation process.

No matter your situation, SoloSuit is here to help you fight off predatory creditors and debt collectors and win. Check out this video to learn a little more about our services:

What is SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to fight debt collectors.

You can use SoloSuit to respond to a debt lawsuit, to send letters to collectors, and even to settle a debt.

SoloSuit's Answer service is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your Answer. Upon completion, we'll have an attorney review your document and we'll file it for you.

Respond with SoloSuit

"First time getting sued by a debt collector and I was searching all over YouTube and ran across SoloSuit, so I decided to buy their services with their attorney reviewed documentation which cost extra but it was well worth it! SoloSuit sent the documentation to the parties and to the court which saved me time from having to go to court and in a few weeks the case got dismissed!" – James

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>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate