BC Family Maintenance Enforcement Program

When a former spouse stops paying child support or spousal support in British Columbia, the BC Family Maintenance Agency (BCFMA), formerly known as the Family Maintenance Enforcement Program (FMEP), is the provincial agency that can enforce the obligation — and it has enforcement tools that go far beyond what you could do on your own through the courts.

What BCFMA Does

BCFMA is a free provincial program that monitors and enforces support orders and agreements filed with the program. It collects payments from the payor, forwards them to the recipient, and takes enforcement action when payments fall behind.

Enrolment is voluntary, not automatic. Anyone with a valid support order or agreement that can be collected by British Columbia can enrol, as long as one of the parties lives in BC. Written separation agreements can also be filed with BCFMA voluntarily, allowing the agency to monitor and enforce the support obligations.

Enforcement Powers

BCFMA's enforcement authority is broad and escalates with non-compliance. The program can:

• Garnish wages directly from the payor's employer, including federal employment income
• Intercept federal payments such as employment insurance benefits, GST/HST credits, and income tax refunds
• Seize bank accounts and redirect funds to cover arrears
• Register liens against real property, preventing the payor from selling or refinancing without paying outstanding support
• Suspend driver's licences through ICBC — the payor cannot renew or obtain a licence until arrears are addressed
• Seek denial or suspension of passports through the federal government, restricting international travel
• Report arrears to credit bureaus, which affects the payor's ability to borrow
• Commence committal proceedings (jail time) as a last resort for persistent, wilful non-payment

These aren't theoretical powers. BCFMA uses wage garnishment and federal payment interception among its administrative enforcement tools when voluntary arrangements do not resolve arrears.

How to Enrol

If your order or agreement isn't already enrolled, you can file it with BCFMA by submitting a copy of the court order or agreement, along with an enrolment form. There's no fee to enrol or use the program.

Once enrolled, BCFMA handles payment tracking and collection. Payments from the payor go through BCFMA, which forwards them to the recipient. This creates an official record that helps resolve disputes about whether payments were made.

When BCFMA Can't Help

BCFMA enforces only financial support obligations — child support and spousal support. It doesn't enforce parenting time orders, property division terms, or any non-financial provisions in your separation agreement. For those, you'd need to return to court.

BCFMA also can't modify the amount of support. If the payor's income has changed significantly, either party can apply to court (or use the online Child Support Recalculation Service for guideline child support) to adjust the amount. BCFMA enforces whatever the current order says.

Navigating Support Enforcement After Divorce

Understanding your enforcement options is one piece of the post-divorce administrative puzzle. The British Columbia After-Divorce Checklist covers how BCFMA fits into the full sequence of financial separation, account restructuring, and ongoing support management.

See more British Columbia guides →