Q&A with the attorney of former Saint Robert Meachem’s wife: Mitchell Hoffman

701 Poydras St, ste 3600, New Orleans, LA 70139 is one address where you won’t find Robert Meachem, hanging around.

In fact, it is probably the last place on earth outside of the Gretna jail that Robert Meachem, the former Saint, would want to be at. That’s because that happens to be the address of his ex-wife’s lawyer, Mitchell Hoffman.

Meachem’s ex-wife Andrea Rhodes did her homework and got an attorney who has been in the big leagues of his profession since practically day one. Hoffman, (of Lowe, Stein, Hoffman, Allweiss & Hauver LLP) has enjoyed a Martindale Hubbell AV rating and has been included in the Louisiana Super Lawyers directory since its inception.

Translation: He’s way, way up there…. like a Drew Brees of lawyer’s folks.

In any case, WDD got him to “dish” on the recent case that has made news across the NFL and the sports world. The case involving his client and a former beloved Saint who played a big part in the city’s Super Bowl title year, Robert Meachem. Many will never forget the incredible play forged out of sheer will and desire that Meachem made against the Redskins in Washington that year. Not only did Meachem not quit on a play that many would have conceded, he went on to force a fumble and score an eventual touchdown out of what started as a Drew Brees interception. Those types of plays came to epitomize that Saints defense. A unit that would bend, but not break. But that was then, and this is now…

The Dish

WDD: Our readers would like to know at what point did you come aboard the case, and when did things start going afoul with Mr. Meachem?

Mitchell Hoffman: Well back in 2014 you had the petition for divorce, with the actual divorce in November of 2015.

WDD: So, it’s now apparent that Ms. Meachem has been searching for some of this money for a while now?

Hoffman: Oh yeah…. when we finally got the award for support from the court, it was retro-active to the day of filing the initial request for support. Robert had been paying sporadically over that period and was not doing what he said he would do, so we had to take the matter to court again and make the matter formal. So, that judgment was retroactive to the day we initially filed for the support award. So, a lot of the $400,000 delinquency was from a retroactive component of the support award. But, he doesn’t pay his payments on the consistent monthly basis either, so when we finally got back to court, we were looking at Robert owing about $388,000 through December 31, and is a little higher now, minus the 100k payment he just made that got him out of jail.

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WDD: Is it safe to say that Mrs. Meachem did not want to see Robert go to jail to have this matter ultimately resolved?

Hoffman: Absolutely…we cut a deal back in January that prevented him from going to jail if he acted and provided some assets that would ultimately be community property that should have gone to her and so we did not insist on a jail term but then he kind of played games with that as well and continued to not pay. So, since being nice didn’t work the first time, we had to change our strategy. But no, she did not want to see him go to jail.

WDD: Most in the media speak about the $400k you are seeking for Andrea Rhodes, but can you dish a bit and let us know what the real amount is?

Hoffman: The $400k is only the amount for support-what we are looking for is the community property that he has removed from the community accounts. We’re looking to get her share (the ex-wife) of at least 3 million in community property assets.

WDD: When you say community property, are you referring to things like houses and vehicles?

Hoffman: That is certainly a part of it, but it boils down to money that he earned during the marriage from contracts that had been put away and has disappeared.

WDD: You mentioned earlier that you want to make sure Robert isn’t using money that Andrea is already entitled to in fact pay her with. Could you elaborate on that?

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Hoffman: We want him to pay his support from his share of any community property or separate property that he has.