1. Why can’t the jurisdiction where I reside enforce my order?
2. What enforcement actions can my jurisdiction take?
3. How long will it take to register my order with Alberta MEP?
4. How long will it take for enforcement action to begin?
5. What enforcement actions can Alberta MEP take?
6. Can I receive direct payments from the debtor or can the debtor pay my jurisdiction directly?
7. How will I receive my payments?
8. At what age will Alberta MEP stop enforcing child maintenance?
9. Whom do I contact for updates on my file?
10. How do I vary my order?

1. Why can’t the jurisdiction in which I reside enforce my order?
   Your jurisdiction cannot apply its laws outside of their borders and is very limited in what it can do to collect support from a debtor who lives outside of the jurisdiction.
   
   Fortunately, many jurisdictions cooperate with one another in enforcing maintenance orders. Alberta enforces other jurisdictions’ maintenance orders through the Interjurisdictional Support Orders (ISO) Act. Under the ISO Act, the province, territory or country in which the debtor lives is responsible for the enforcement of the maintenance court order or agreement.
   
   
2. What enforcement actions can my jurisdiction take?
   For information regarding the enforcement actions that your program may take, refer to their website. Once a file is registered with Alberta MEP, your jurisdiction will remove any enforcement actions it may have placed. This is because Alberta MEP is the enforcing jurisdiction under the ISO Act.
   
   
3. How long will it take to register my order with Alberta MEP?
   In most cases, you must still register your file with the program in your jurisdiction. They will then send your file to Alberta MEP for enforcement. From the time that Alberta MEP receives the registration package from your program, registration may take up to four weeks.
   
   
4. How long will it take for enforcement action to begin?
   Debtors are informed of their registration with Alberta MEP both over the phone and by mail, and are asked to make a payment arrangement at that time if arrears are owing on the file. If arrangements are not made, collection action can begin 31 days after the file has been registered with arrears or the debtor has defaulted on a payment.
   
   
5. What enforcement actions can Alberta MEP take?
   For a detailed list of this collection action, please refer to the info sheet entitled List of Collection Actions Available to the Maintenance Enforcement Program.
   
   
6. Can I receive direct payments from the debtor or can the debtor pay my jurisdiction directly?
   Once the order has been registered with our office, you should not request or accept any payments directly from the debtor. If this does happen, you must inform the MEP office in your jurisdiction immediately, so that an accurate, up-to-date record of all payments can be maintained.
   
   Accepting direct payments consistently may result in the inability of MEP to take collection action or the closure of the file. In the future, failure to report any direct payment as required may result in a $50 deterrent penalty charged to creditors registered directly with Alberta MEP. If you are residing outside of Alberta but registered directly with Alberta MEP (and not through the program in your jurisdiction), this penalty will apply to you.
   
   
7. How will I receive my payments?
   Once your court order or agreement has been registered with Alberta MEP through the program in your province, payments received by the debtor in Alberta will be forwarded to your program in order for them to disburse the funds appropriately.
   
   Out of province creditors will only receive direct deposit from Alberta MEP in situations where the creditor is not enrolled in the program in his/her province.
   
   
8. At what age will Alberta MEP stop enforcing child maintenance?
   Enforcing child maintenance will depend on the terms of the order or agreement, where the order or agreement was granted and under which legislation. If an order gives specific direction on when maintenance will end, Alberta MEP will stop collecting maintenance based on those conditions. If an order is granted under the federal Divorce Act, the Alberta Domestic Relations Act (after May 17, 1995) or the Alberta Family Law Act and does not give specific conditions on when maintenance shall end, it will be enforced until age 22 if the child remains a full time student.
   
   In most cases, Alberta MEP will collect until the age of majority for the jurisdiction where the child resides unless information is received before that time advising the child is no longer eligible.
   
   
9. Whom do I contact for updates on my file?
   The jurisdiction where the client lives is responsible for providing information to their client. Contact the enforcement office in your jurisdiction for inquiries into your file.
   
   
10. How do I vary my order?
    Each province may have different processes regarding the variation of a court order or agreement pertaining to child maintenance. You can access information on Alberta’s procedures or contact the program in your jurisdiction for information on their procedures at.