Divorce & Separation
Contested and uncontested divorce handled with discretion and resolve.
Learn moreNashville Family Law · Since 2006
Compassionate counsel.
Decisive representation.
Mercer & Cole is a boutique Tennessee family-law firm built on a simple promise: you will always know where your case stands, what comes next, and who is fighting for you.
19+
Years of exclusive family-law focus
1,400+
Matters resolved
92%
Resolved without going to trial
4.9
Average Google review rating
Exclusive focus on family law
Discreet, conflict-checked intake
Rule 31 listed mediators
AV-Preeminent peer rated
Outcomes by the numbers
Results that speak before we do.
These figures come from our case files. They reflect 19 years of focused family-law practice in Middle Tennessee courts.
94%
of custody clients secured their requested parenting schedule within 12 months
$0
in unpaid support after our contempt actions in the last three years
8 of 10
adoptions finalized within 120 days of filing
87%
of divorce matters resolved via settlement or mediation before trial
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case turns on its specific facts and circumstances.
Practice areas
Counsel for every chapter of family life.
Custody & Parenting Plans
Tennessee parenting plans that hold up in court and at the kitchen table.
Learn moreAdoption
Stepparent, kinship, and private adoptions handled start to finish.
Learn moreMediation & Collaborative Law
Resolution outside the courtroom when it is the right fit.
Learn moreChild & Spousal Support
Accurate calculations, persuasive arguments, enforceable orders.
Learn morePrenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements
Plain-language agreements that protect what matters before it matters.
Learn more
How we practice
Four principles that shape every case.
Prepare every case for trial
The cases that settle well are the ones prepared as if they will go to trial. We build a full evidentiary record before any negotiation begins, which gives you real leverage regardless of how the matter resolves.
Tell clients the truth
A client making decisions based on optimistic legal advice gets worse outcomes than one who understands the realistic range. We give you the hard answer when the hard answer is the right one.
Smaller docket, deeper focus
We cap the number of active matters we carry so every client gets genuine partner attention. You will not be handed to a junior associate after the retainer clears.
Communication is not optional
We return every call and email within one business day without exception. You will never feel like a case number in our system.
How we work
A steady process, even when life is not.
Family-law cases are rarely fast, but they can always be clear. From the first phone call to the final order, we keep you informed, prepared, and in control of your own life.
- 01
Confidential consultation
We meet for 60 minutes, in person, by phone, or by video, to hear what is happening, answer your questions, and outline the realistic options. The consultation fee is $200 and is credited to your engagement if you retain the firm.
- 02
Strategy and engagement
If we are the right fit, we draft a clear engagement letter with a flat-fee or transparent hourly structure and a written game plan for the first 90 days of representation.
- 03
Active, communicative representation
You will always know the next step, the next deadline, and the next decision waiting for you. We return calls within one business day, every time, without exception.
- 04
Resolution and what comes after
Whether by settlement, mediation, or trial, we close every matter with a written wrap-up document and a plan for any follow-on filings, modifications, or enforcement actions.
Our history
Two decades of building something deliberate.
2004
Eleanor Mercer graduates from Vanderbilt Law School, Order of the Coif, and joins a major Nashville firm.
2006
Mercer Law opens as a boutique family-law practice with a focus on complex divorce and custody.
2007
Daniel Cole graduates from University of Tennessee College of Law and begins as a Davidson County assistant public defender.
2014
Daniel joins the firm as a partner after seven years of trial experience. The firm becomes Mercer and Cole.
2016
Both partners earn active Rule 31 mediator listings. The firm adds mediation services.
2019
Eleanor earns AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Both partners named to Tennessee Super Lawyers.
2021
The firm adds a client portal and a dedicated legal operations manager, increasing capacity without adding associates.
2023
Eleanor and Daniel co-publish an update to the Tennessee chapter of the BNA Family Law Practice Guide.
2026
The firm has now handled more than 1,400 matters and holds a 4.9 average Google rating across 340 reviews.
Client voices
Real outcomes, written in our clients' own words.
Eleanor was the calm in the middle of the worst year of my life. She told me the truth even when it was hard, prepared me for every hearing, and got an outcome I did not think was possible.
C.W.
Divorce and custody client
Daniel walked us through stepparent adoption with patience and humor. He treated our family like his own from the first call. The finalization day was one of the best of our lives.
The H. Family
Adoption client
I came in expecting a fight and left with a mediated agreement we could both live with. I am grateful Mercer and Cole was willing to recommend the path that was actually right for us.
M.R.
Mediation client
As a father, I was terrified the system was not built for me. Daniel showed me it could be. I am now my daughter's primary parent and we have a parenting plan that actually works.
T.B.
Contested custody client
Eleanor reviewed my prenup before I signed it and found three clauses I would have deeply regretted. She was direct, fast, and completely worth it.
K.S.
Prenuptial review client
I had fourteen months of unpaid child support sitting there and did not know how to collect it. Mercer and Cole filed contempt, got a garnishment, and I had my money within two months of the hearing.
R.D.
Support enforcement client
Client identities abbreviated for confidentiality. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Begin with a conversation
The first step is the hardest. We will make the next ones easier.
Request a confidential 60-minute consultation with Eleanor or Daniel. We will listen, answer your questions, and outline a realistic path forward, whether or not you decide to hire us.