Football fans in Kentucky will be interested to hear that former New Orleans Saints player Robert Meachem owes nearly $400,000 in child support and alimony. Meachem, who played in the NFL for seven seasons, helped the Saints win the Super Bowl in 2010. On Nov. 28, a judge in Louisiana’s Jefferson Parish determined that Meachem should be held in contempt of court due to his failure to pay the money. Meachem did not attend the court hearing.
Meacham and his ex-wife share custody of their two children. They were married for six years but separated in 2014 and divorced in 2015. Over the summer, a court decided that Meacham should pay his ex-wife $20,000 a month to make up for child support payments dating back to the summer of 2014. According to court documents, Meacham has paid more than $200,000 since that time but still remains $388,019 behind.
If Meacham pays the remaining amount by Dec. 20, he may not be punished for being in contempt of court. Failing to pay the amount for child support and alimony, however, could result in a fine or jail sentence. Another hearing is scheduled for Dec. 21. Meacham can contest the judge’s decision at that time but only if he makes an appearance in the courtroom.
Following a divorce, one spouse may be ordered to pay alimony or spousal support payments to the other. Alimony is generally paid out when a former spouse is unable to provide for themselves financially. A lawyer can help a person find out if they could be eligible to receive alimony payments and help them determine how much those payments may be. The amount of alimony is based on a number of factors, including how long the marriage lasted, the age of each spouse, and the standard of living during the marriage.