Meridith is best known for her roles on the ABC drama series Family (1976–80) and the NBC sitcom Family Ties (1982–89), credited as Meredith Baxter-Birney. A five-time Emmy Award nominee, one of her nominations was for playing the title role in the 1992 TV film A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story.
She divorced Birney and alleges that he abused her physically and emotionally, and came out as a lesbian.