MEP – How to register

Who can register

In Alberta

Either of these people can register for MEP – only one needs to register:

• payor of support (debtor)
• recipient of support (creditor)

The Ministry of Seniors, Community and Social Services can also register a file with MEP if the recipient collects income support.

Outside Alberta

You can register with the enforcement program in your jurisdiction or call us for more information.

Before you register

Get a court order

File one of these orders for support before registering for MEP. A support order can be:

• a Maintenance Order
• a Maintenance Agreement

A maintenance order sets an enforceable amount of support that’s payable for a child, spouse or adult interdependent partner.

A maintenance agreement creates an enforceable support agreement for a child, spouse or adult interdependent partner.

To get a maintenance order

We recommend a lawyer helps you with the maintenance order. If you don’t have a lawyer, contact Court and Justice Services for help.

File a court application at the nearest Family Court or Court of King’s Bench:

• Court of King’s Bench
• Family court assistance

To create and file a maintenance agreement

You cannot file a maintenance agreement if any of these conditions apply:

• you already have a maintenance order
• you have an agreement under the:
  • Parentage and Maintenance Act
  • Income Support Recovery Act
  • Income and Employment Supports Act (Part 5)
• you are receiving:
  • assured income for the severely handicapped (AISH)
  • Income Support benefits
  • other benefits from the Ministry of Seniors, Community and Social Services

You can file a maintenance agreement if the above conditions do not apply to you. We recommend a lawyer helps you with this process:

• fill out and print the Maintenance Enforcement Support Agreement form – do not add any sections to the form
• sign the form with the other party in front of a witness
• have the witness swear or affirm they saw both parties sign the agreement before a commissioner of oaths or notary public
• file the agreement at the nearest Court of King’s Bench location

Support agreement form and instructions

Maintenance Enforcement Support Agreement form

Maintenance Enforcement Support Agreement form – Instructions (PDF, 193 KB)

Registration fees

There’s no fee to register with MEP for the first time.

There's a $205 MEP re-registration fee if you:

• ask us to re-open a file you closed
• are a recipient who asks us to re-open a file that we closed due to your lack of cooperation

Registration package

Download and fill out all these forms:

• Registration Request – Maintenance Enforcement Program
• Direct Deposit
• Affidavit of Arrears
• Calculation of Arrears Worksheet

Third party representation

You can have a third party act on your behalf with MEP. To arrange this, fill out the Client Authorization of Third Party form.

Whenever this person contacts MEP, they can discuss your file by providing the:

• third party's name
• name of the MEP client that authorized them
• secret word or phrase that's listed on the Client Authorization of Third Party form
• client's MEP file number

Later on, if you decide you do not want this person to act on your behalf, you can call MEP or send us your written request to have them removed from your file – this will prevent them from discussing your file.

Do not share your PIN with anyone.

Mail your package

Mail the completed registration package to:

Maintenance Enforcement Program
7th Floor, John E. Brownlee Building
10365 97 Street
Edmonton, Alberta  T5J 3W7

After you apply

After you apply:

• we will process your registration package
• we will notify the other party by mail
• we will give you a 7-digit MEP file number
• the payor (debtor) should immediately stop making any support payments directly to the recipient (creditor) and begin making all payments through MEP

Contact

Connect with the Maintenance Enforcement Program.