Overview
A parenting agreement outlines how parents deal with any or all of these situations:
- custody
- parenting time (access)
- child support
- spousal or partner support
The agreement can be:
- verbal, written, informal or formal
- attached to an affidavit or statement
The agreement can’t be:
- used to change a court order
- filed on its own with the court
If you want the terms of the agreement to be made into an enforceable court order, you can apply to have these terms made into a Consent Order by following the steps below.
How to apply for a Consent Order
Step 1. Prepare the form
First choose the info pack that best matches your situation:
- Custody and Parenting Time (Access)
- Custody, Parenting Time (Access) and Child Support
- Custody, Parenting Time (Access), Child Support and Spousal/Partner Support
- Blank Consent Order
- use to fill out your own situation
In your chosen info pack:
- fill out the Consent Order form
- sign the form with the other party in front of 1 or 2 witnesses (you can use the same witness)
Step 2. File your order
Do this at the same court, in the same location, where you’ve either:
- already been to court with the other party
- started any court action that hasn’t gone to court
If you haven’t done either of these things, file your claim at any court in Alberta.
Payors reducing support
If you’re the payor and are applying to reduce your support, the amount of support you have to pay won’t change until the court has made an order.
If you don’t come to court, the judge may make an order in your absence.