What is the Maintenance Enforcement Program in Alberta and how do I register?
This answer covers the law of Alberta.
The Maintenance Enforcement Program (MEP) collects court-ordered child, spousal and partner support from payors and enforces it as needed. Either the payor or the recipient may register, and only one needs to.
To be eligible, either the payor or the recipient must live in Alberta, and there must be a filed maintenance order or maintenance agreement that sets an enforceable amount. MEP cannot enforce terms found only in documents such as Reasons for Judgment, Endorsements, Minutes of Settlement or separation agreements.
You can register online through MEP Online Registration, which needs an Alberta.ca account, or by mail with Registration Request form MEP13371 plus either the Direct Deposit form MEP2389 or the Authorized Bank Withdrawal form MEP3678. There is no fee to register for the first time, but a $205 re-registration fee applies if you previously withdrew or MEP closed your file for non-compliance.
After you register, MEP notifies the other party by mail and assigns a 7-digit file number, and once the file opens the payor must pay through MEP instead of paying you directly. Recipients must tell MEP about any payments received directly from the payor.
Key takeaways
- Either the payor or the recipient may register, and only one of them needs to.
- You need a filed maintenance order or maintenance agreement that sets an enforceable amount, and either the payor or the recipient must live in Alberta.
- Registering for the first time has no fee, but a $205 re-registration fee applies if you previously withdrew or MEP closed your file for non-compliance.
- Once the file opens, the payor must stop paying the recipient directly and pay through MEP.