40-4-101. Purposes. This chapter shall be liberally construed and applied to promote its underlying purposes, which are to:
(1) strengthen and preserve the integrity of marriage and safeguard family relationships;
(2) promote the amicable settlement of disputes that have arisen between parties to a marriage;
(3) mitigate the potential harm to the spouses and their children caused by the process of legal dissolution of marriage;
(4) make reasonable provision for spouse and minor children during and after litigation; and
(5) make the law of legal dissolution of marriage effective for dealing with the realities of matrimonial experience by making irretrievable breakdown of the marriage relationship the sole basis for its dissolution.
History: En. 48-302 by Sec. 2, Ch. 536, L. 1975; R.C.M. 1947, 48-302(part).
Structure Montana Code Annotated
Chapter 4. Termination of Marriage, Child Custody, Support
Part 1. Separation -- Dissolution of Marriage
40-4-102. Uniformity of application and construction
40-4-103. Application of Montana Rules of Civil Procedure
40-4-104. Dissolution of marriage -- legal separation
40-4-105. Procedure -- commencement -- pleadings -- abolition of existing defenses
40-4-107. Irretrievable breakdown
40-4-109. Independence of provisions of decree or temporary order
40-4-110. Costs -- professional fees
40-4-111. through 40-4-120 reserved
40-4-122. Forms -- distribution -- filing
40-4-123. Jurisdiction and venue
40-4-124. Review or removal -- district court
40-4-125. Registration of orders
40-4-126. Automatic economic restraining order
40-4-127. through 40-4-129 reserved
40-4-130. Summary dissolution -- conditions necessary at commencement of proceedings
40-4-131. Joint petition -- filing -- form -- contents
40-4-132. Revocation of joint petition -- termination of proceeding -- notice -- copy to other party
40-4-133. Hearing and final judgment -- entry -- effect
40-4-134. Final judgment as final adjudication of rights and obligations
40-4-135. Actions to set aside final judgment
40-4-136. Brochure to describe proceedings -- availability -- distribution -- contents and form