It is the responsibility of the Maintenance Enforcement Program (MEP) to enforce child and adult maintenance obligations by collecting payments and forwarding them to the appropriate individuals. These are the types of support obligations that MEP can enforce:

1. Support ordered by a court.

2. Limited types of support agreements. These include paternity agreements under the Parentage and Maintenance Act and agreements made under the Income and Employment Supports Act and Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act.

3. The Maintenance Enforcement Support Agreement. MEP is able to enforce these agreements if they meet the requirements of the Maintenance Enforcement Regulation and are filed with the Court of Queen’s Bench. The Maintenance Enforcement Support Agreement is also the form of agreement used under the Family Law Act.

MEP cannot enforce a court order or maintenance agreement unless the creditor or debtor has a file that is registered with MEP or the Crown has the right to maintenance owing under a court order or enforceable maintenance agreement.

MEP provides an intermediary, or go-between, service for debtors (those paying support) and creditors (those receiving support) in relation to maintenance payments. MEP receives the payment from the debtor and forwards this payment to the creditor once the funds have been cleared through a trust account.

In cases of default (non-payment by the debtor), MEP has access to a variety of information databases to assist in locating the debtor and the debtor’s assets or income. MEP has the legislative authority to take steps to recover the support owed, including wage support deduction notices and motor vehicle restrictions.

MEP does not have the authority to vary the amount of support ordered by a court. MEP also does not collect payments for "additional expenses" (items such as school supplies or tuition) unless they are specifically identified in the court order as a specified amount that is payable as maintenance. If clients want MEP to collect these additional expenses, they should ensure that their court orders or agreements are worded appropriately (refer to the Maintenance Enforcement Support Agreements for an example of an enforcable additional expense clause).

MEP does not deal with issues relating to parenting time, child access or custody. In Alberta, access to children and payment of maintenance are treated as separate matters. Individuals having difficulty with access to children may wish to address the matter in court or to consider alternative dispute resolution (such as mediation or arbitration). For assistance in this area, please seek legal advice or see the related document Info Sheet - Referrals to Resources and Info Sheet - Access Enforcement.

MEP will conduct a child status review at the request of debtors who believe their children may no longer be eligible for support under their court order. MEP does not automatically review children's eligibility for support at age 18 or otherwise.

To contact MEP, phone the MEP Info Line at 780-422-5555 (dial 310-0000 for toll-free access anywhere in Alberta). You can also e-mail MEP at albertamep@gov.ab.ca or through MEP Accounts Online (for registered account holders only).

Should you wish to pay a compliment or make a complaint, please refer to Info Sheet - If You Have a Compliment or Complaint.