Charlotte S. Beatty

Charlotte S. Beatty brings decades of family law and guardianship experience to her practice in Montana and Maine, shaped by a lifelong commitment to service and community leadership. Raised in rural Maine, Charlotte grew up sailing the coast, skiing at Sugarloaf Mountain, and hiking Mt. Katahdin. A co-captain of her high school field hockey and ski teams, she earned the Maine State Skimeister Award twice.

After earning a degree in zoology from the University of New Hampshire, Charlotte spent 15 years in medical and veterinary publishing before relocating to Montana, where marriage and motherhood inspired her to pursue law. Inspired by her grandfather, Roswell Gilpatric, a senior partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore and former Under Secretary of Defense during the Kennedy administration, she found her calling in helping families navigate complex legal challenges.

Charlotte served for more than 15 years as a Standing Master in the Missoula and Cascade County District Courts, where she designed and launched Montana’s first Family Law Self-Help Center, which became a statewide model. She has served on multiple nonprofit and advocacy boards, including the YWCA Planet Kids, the Western Montana Pro Bono Committee, and the Fran Elge and Margery Hunter Brown law student award committees for the Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana. The Montana Supreme Court twice honored her with the Judicial Employee of the Year Award.

Her extensive judicial experience provides clients with unique insight into how courts approach family law matters, allowing her to craft strategies that are both legally sound and practically effective. She balances legal strategy with empathy and practical guidance through life’s most challenging transitions.

Outside the office, Charlotte skis, hikes, bikes, and plays ice hockey alongside her three dogs. She is proud of her son, who is pursuing environmental law, carrying forward the family’s legacy of service and advocacy.