About Hilary Joan Oitzinger
Hilary Joan Oitzinger Betson trained and worked in Montana from her earliest studies through her legal career. She earned a J.D. from the University of Montana School of Law in 2005 and holds multiple degrees from the University of Montana, including a Master of Public Administration and bachelor's degrees in sociology, print journalism and psychology.
Her early legal work included a clerkship with the Supreme Court of Montana in 2008. She then moved into private practice and a series of roles that mixed litigation, client intake and dispute resolution. In 2010 she worked at both Oitzinger Law Offices and the Law Offices of David Gallik, and by 2013 she was operating her own practice as the Law Offices of Hilary Oitzinger. Subsequent years saw her at Doggett Law Offices in 2014 and launching Insight Law and Mediation, PLLC in 2017. She also served as an intake specialist for Montana Legal Services Association in 2018 and worked as an associate at Harshbarger Law Office in 2020.
In 2021 she established Wholehearted Family Law, LLC, where she serves as lawyer, mediator and owner. Her practice history shows a steady movement toward alternative dispute resolution and family law matters. She has formal mediator training and several complementary certifications that reflect that orientation.
Betson has completed training as a Holistic Divorce Coach through the Holistic Divorce Coach Training Institute and holds mediator credentials from the Montana Mediation Association and the Center for Understanding in Conflict. She has additional training in collaborative practice from the Sacramento Collaborative Practice Group. Those credentials align with leadership roles she has taken in the local dispute resolution community. She has been a member of the State Bar of Montana since 2008 and served on the Montana Collaborative Professionals board, including a term as secretary in 2015–2016. In 2022 she assumed the presidency of the Montana Mediation Association and continues in that role.
Colleagues describe her work as centered on mediation, collaborative processes and family law matters that benefit from problem-solving outside the courtroom. Her background in journalism and public administration informs a practice style that values clear communication and case management.
She maintains an office under the name Whole Heart Matters, LLC while operating Wholehearted Family Law, LLC, providing mediation, collaborative practice and family law services. Her current practice focuses on family law, mediation and collaborative practice.
