The first thing you should know about Montana law is that you're not dealing with the Wild West anymore. Montana state laws have developed into a sophisticated body of statutes and cases covering a wide variety of subjects.

At the top of Montana's court system is the Montana Supreme Court. Beneath that operate a district court, courts of limited jurisdiction and a workers' compensation court. A Montana water court adjudicates water rights in the state.

You should know:

1. Montana state laws are heavily oriented toward energy, because of the state's strong interest in mining, oil, and natural gas.

2. Montana law firms are spread out, with firms in Billings dominating the eastern half of the state and firms in Butte, Missoula, Great Falls and Helena dominating the western half. Montana's legal community remains comparatively small.

3. Montana is considered a business-friendly state, although a strong populist streak is present there.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Know where to find information about laws in Montana

There are several good places to locate information on the laws of Montana.

I recommend: The Montana Legislative Services Division and the Office of Public Instruction offer the Montana Code Annotated, including a search engine. Offering the annotated code (i.e., the code with case interpretations attached) online and for free is unusual for a state. The Montana State Law Library gives access to Montana Supreme Court Cases, allowing you to search by name, date, or by words contained in the case.

Go further into a detailed understanding of laws in Montana

There are several places you can go for legal information and resources to give yourself a more detailed understanding of Montana state laws.

I recommend: MontanaLawHelp.org, created by the Montana Legal Services association, offers a good website that gives advice and links on a variety of laws in Montana, from statutes and cases affecting families and kids to veterans and taxes. The Montana Attorney General's office has a detailed website that offers help on Montana state law, from land use issues to gaming.

For more complex legal issues, know where to find a Montana lawyer

Because Montana has a small legal community, if you have a legal issue in a Montana court, it's best to hire a Montana attorney or Montana law firm.

I recommend: Unlike many states, Montana's state bar does not currently post a listing of Montana lawyers or Montana law firms. However, FindLaw gives a pretty extensive list of Montana lawyers by region and area of practice. Lawyers.com provides another good place to find a Montana attorney or Montana law firm.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For more complex legal issues, hire a Montana lawyer. Lawyers in Montana have the best understanding of their state's laws.
• •  The sites offering Montana states and cases are relatively sophisticated in terms of their search engines, and are recommended for basic research into Montana law.
• •  Focus on the bigger cities in Montana when looking for Montana lawyers and Montana law firms.