Each province in Canada has a separate maintenance enforcement program with its own legislation and tools to recover court-ordered support or support payable by enforceable agreements. If either party named in a court order lives in Alberta and the other lives outside the province, then the file may be reciprocally registered for enforcement.

Interjurisdictional Support Orders Act

• Often referred to as the ISO Act, this legislation authorizes the Alberta Maintenance Enforcement Program (MEP) to monitor and/or enforce court orders when the person responsible to pay maintenance (the debtor) or the person receiving the payments (the creditor) resides outside of Alberta. MEP has reciprocal agreements with numerous other jurisdictions, including all Canadian provinces and territories.

Reciprocal registration

• Reciprocal registration occurs when a court order or enforceable agreement from one jurisdiction is filed in another jurisdiction that recognizes the originating court's authority to make an order for maintenance. Court orders from outside our jurisdiction are reciprocally registered in Alberta's Court of Queen's Bench prior to maintenance enforcement action. If the order was granted outside of Canada, there is then a 30-day waiting period during which the debtor may apply to the court to have the registration set aside.

Debtor lives outside Alberta

• Enforcement action occurs in the jurisdiction where the debtor resides. When the debtor lives outside the province, MEP forwards the order/agreement and file information for registration with the enforcement program in the debtor's jurisdiction.
  
  
• The role of the Alberta MEP in that case is to provide accounting and communication services between the reciprocating jurisdiction and the creditor. Any monies collected by other programs are routed through the Alberta MEP and forwarded to the creditor to ensure the form of payment received from the debtor is secure.

Creditor lives outside Alberta

• When the creditor lives outside the province, the court order/agreement may be sent by Alberta MEP for reciprocal registration in the creditor's jurisdiction.
  
  
• The role of the Alberta MEP is to monitor and enforce the maintenance and to receive payments directly from the debtor. Accounting and communication services between the reciprocating jurisdiction and the debtor are also provided. Any funds collected are routed through the Alberta MEP to ensure the form of payment received is secure prior to forwarding the monies to the reciprocating jurisdiction.

Both parties live in Alberta - out-of-province court order

• If a court order was granted in another jurisdiction and both parties reside in Alberta, MEP may be able to file the order with the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench. Once the order has been filed, MEP can begin to monitor and enforce payment on the order.

Both parties live outside of Alberta - Alberta court order

• If both the debtor and creditor have moved out of Alberta, the Alberta MEP will close the file and the parties will need to register with the enforcement program in the area in which they live.

Reciprocating jurisdictions

Canada - Alberta has reciprocal enforcement agreements with all other provinces and territories of Canada.

Other jurisdictions - Alberta has reciprocal enforcement agreements with the following other jurisdictions: