Rule 7.Pleadings Allowed; Form of Motions and Other Papers

Enacted effective October 1, 2011 · Last verified June 26, 2026

In one sentenceRule 7 lists the only pleadings Montana allows — the complaint, the answers, a third-party complaint, and a court-ordered reply — and requires that every request for a court order be made by a written motion stating its grounds and the relief sought.

Full Text of Rule 7

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b)

(a) Pleadings. Only these pleadings are allowed:

(1) a complaint;

(2) an answer to a complaint;

(3) an answer to a counterclaim designated as a counterclaim;

(4) an answer to a crossclaim;

(5) a third-party complaint;

(6) an answer to a third-party complaint; and

(7) if the court orders one, a reply to an answer.

(b) Motions and Other Papers.

(1) In General. A request for a court order must be made by motion. The motion must:

(A) be in writing unless made during a hearing or trial;

(B) state with particularity the grounds for seeking the order; and

(2) Form. The rules governing captions and other matters of form in pleadings apply to motions and other papers.

End

Plain-English Summary

Rule 7 does two tidy things. First, it gives a closed list of the pleadings allowed in a Montana civil case: a complaint; an answer to a complaint; an answer to a counterclaim; an answer to a crossclaim; a third-party complaint; an answer to a third-party complaint; and, only if the court orders it, a reply to an answer. If a document is not on that list, it is not a pleading.

Second, it sets the basic form of motions. Any request for a court order must be made by motion, in writing (unless made during a hearing or trial), and the motion must state the grounds for relief with particularity and say what relief is sought. The ordinary rules about captions and form apply to motions as they do to pleadings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What pleadings are allowed in Montana?

Only those listed in Rule 7(a): a complaint; an answer to a complaint; an answer to a counterclaim; an answer to a crossclaim; a third-party complaint; an answer to a third-party complaint; and, if the court orders one, a reply to an answer.

How do I ask the court to do something?

By motion. The motion must be in writing (unless made during a hearing or trial), state the grounds with particularity, and state the relief sought.

Can I file a reply to an answer?

Only if the court orders one. A reply to an answer is not allowed as of right.

Source & verification. Reproduced verbatim from the Montana Code Annotated as published by the State Law Library of Montana and the Montana Legislature. This rule has not been amended since its adoption. Adopted by the Supreme Court of Montana (AF 07-0157). Last verified June 26, 2026. · Official text

Also known as: pleadings allowedmotionsform of motion