The Maintenance Enforcement Program (MEP) in Alberta allows individuals to collect court-ordered child support, spousal support and partner support and enforce these as required. Essentially if you are having challenges dealing with your former spouse – the MEP can be used to collect financial support from your spouse and be distributed to the intended recipients accordingly. Many of our clients have indicated how confusing the program can be due to the fact that limited information exists on the program making it rather challenging for individuals to process on their own.
At Verhaeghe Law Office – our Alberta divorce lawyers have assisted clients across Alberta with getting their Maintenance Enforcement Program registered and if this is something you need assistance with – we recommend you contact our law office today for a consultation with a member of our legal team to discuss how we can be of assistance in getting your Maintenance Enforcement Program order processed.
How do I qualify for a Maintenance Enforcement Program (MEP) in Alberta?
In order to register with the MEP there are three requirements that must be fulfilled as described below:
- You or the other party must reside in Alberta
- You must either be a payor or recipient of partner support, child support or spousal support
- A court order for support or Maintenance Order or Maintenance Agreement must be filed with the court
Contact our law office today to book a consultation with one of our family lawyers. We can provide legal assistance and help you get enrolled with this program if you qualify. Our divorce lawyers have handled this legal process for many of our existing and previous clients in a timely manner.
How does the Maintenance Enforcement Program work in Alberta?
The recipient of support from the Maintenance Enforcement Program is required to accomplish the following items (and we recommend you hire a lawyer for this):
- Obtaining a court order
- Provide information that can assist getting payments from the payor of support in a timely manner
- Be timely with your response to any changes in the court order(s)
- Inform of any changes to name, address, phone number, banking information that may affect the deposit of your financial support
- Inform of any changes in child’s status
- Inform of any payments you receive from your former spouse
The payor of support (your former spouse or partner) is also required to:
- Make all payments to MEP in a timely manner as prescribed by the court order(s)
- Inform of any payment problems or late payments in advance of the payment due date
- Inform of any changes to personal information such as address, phone number, employment or banking information
- Inform of any changes in child’s status
It is important to note that the Maintenance Enforcement Program does not provide legal representation or advice to clients. The Province of Alberta website recommends that to make any changes to a court order or to the amount payable, the client should contact a lawyer as one of their options for legal assistance.
Contact Verhaeghe Law Office to book a consultation with our family lawyers for help with your Maintenance Enforcement Program
We recommend that if you have not yet filed a court order, that you contact an Alberta based family lawyer to assist with this process to ensure that your rights are protected and that it is done correctly. Our family lawyers at Verhaeghe Law Office have many years of experience in processing Maintenance Enforcement Program requests on behalf of our clients.
Call 587-410-2500 today to book a consultation with our legal team. With offices in Edmonton, Whitecourt and Athabasca – our family lawyers can assist clients in Alberta with all their family law needs.
