- Trigger
- Service of the summons and complaint on the defendant
- Counting basis
- trigger day excluded, counted forwards
- Scope
- This is the ordinary answer branch. A waiver of service, a different party, a statute or a timely Rule 12 motion may produce another period.
- Relief or exception
- A court may alter time only as the Montana Rules of Civil Procedure and a valid court order permit.
- Check before use
- This is the sourced base period, not a final filing date. Apply the cited computation rule, current legal holidays, court closures, service branch and any order before use.