Administrative Suspension of Enforcement (ASOE)

An administrative suspension of enforcement (ASOE) provides a support payor with temporary enforcement relief to:

have support within their court order changed;
apply for early recalculation of support from Child Support Service;
to resolve a short term change in circumstances.

The Family Support Enforcement Act requires a support payor to request an ASOE through MEP before making a court application for an order suspending enforcement.

An ASOE can be requested if:

A support payor is experiencing a reduction of income and cannot meet their ongoing support payments.
There is a change in the child’s circumstances. If a temporary or permanent order of guardianship regarding your child has been made, please contact MEP.
The support payor is applying to change the court order.

Important information about ASOEs:

Once an ASOE request is received, MEP will determine whether or not a suspension is reasonable.
An ASOE will only be approved for up to six months. A new request form and up-to-date documents are required if more time is requested.
An ASOE does not change a support order or agreement including the amount of arrears owed on a file.Your current ongoing support, if any, will continue to cycle.
The ASOE can be terminated or amended at any time during the period of a suspension if MEP receives new information

If an ASOE is approved, MEP may temporarily:

Enforce a reduced support payment
Not enforce a support payment
Remove, suspend or modify current enforcement actions

Support payor responsibilities and involvement

To request an ASOE, send us a completed Request for Administrative Suspension of Enforcement form along with any documentation that supports the request. These documents may include:

Proof of your current income (a copy of your paystub or benefit payment).
Copies of materials filed in court or a letter from your lawyer or the agency assisting you.
A document confirming the child resides at your address or a letter from Child & Family Services or another agency that can confirm the change in parenting time or guardianship.
A support payor that has no source of income and does not receive any benefits will need to complete a Statutory Declaration – No Income form to support an ASOE request.

An ASOE may be terminated if you cannot comply with the conditions laid out in an approval letter, including:

Making reduced payments based on your current income
Providing updated documents or information on court proceedings

Support recipient responsibilities and involvement

If the ASOE is approved, the support recipient will be notified in writing.
If the support recipient disagrees with the decision, they may supply additional information for MEP to consider and determine how to proceed with the ASOE.

Entitlement to information

Both the support recipient and the support payor are entitled to a copy of any information the other has provided to MEP regarding an ASOE, provided the ASOE is granted. This includes any information provided by either party in support of or seeking a review of a suspension. Any personal contact, identifying or sensitive information will be redacted (removed) from the copy that is provided.