Former NFL wide receiver fails to appear in court

Football fans in California may have heard that Robert Meachem, a former wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints, has been ordered by a Louisiana judge to pay back child support and alimony to his former wife. Meacham played for the Saints when the team won the Super Bowl in 2010. He last played in 2014, the year he separated from his wife.

According to court records, Meachem owes over $388,000 in back alimony and support for his two children. A hearing was held for the case recently; however, Meachem did not appear at the court date. While Meachem has the ability to contest the results of the hearing, the judge in the case has the ability to charge the former football player with contempt of court. If this were to happen, Meachem might face jail time and a fine.

Meachem and his wife were married for about six years, and their marriage ended formally in 2015. Custody of their two children is shared. According to records, he did not challenge court recommendations that he pay $20,000 in child support for a period going back over two years. Meachem paid only a portion of what he owed, leaving him in arrears of about $388,000. The hearing officer has reportedly requested that Meachem be found in contempt and be punished for nonpayment of support in addition to not making his manager available to give a deposition in the case.

A parent who is having problems enforcing child support orders might benefit from consulting an attorney experienced in family law. An attorney may examine the evidence of nonpayment and help by requesting a court hearing to enlist the aid of the court in the collection of the debt.