# Law Office of Nick Mermiges, LLC

> South Carolina divorce, custody and family law firm in Columbia, SC (Richland and Lexington Counties, statewide). Attorneys Nick Mermiges and Jaime McSweeney handle divorce, child custody, high-conflict and high-asset divorce, military divorce, emergency custody, modifications, contempt, alimony, property division, prenuptial agreements, grandparent and de facto custodian cases, and appeals.

Office: 1720 Main Street, Suite 202, Columbia, SC 29201 · (803) 587-0472 · Nick@NDMLaw.com
Consultations: $350 phone (up to 45 minutes), $600 in person (up to 90 minutes) — https://ndmlaw.com/consult/

Each page below has a plain-markdown version at its address + `index.md`.

## Attorneys

- [Attorney Jaime McSweeney, Esq.](https://ndmlaw.com/page/jaime-mcsweeney/index.md): Jaime McSweeney brings years of South Carolina family court experience and an elite academic background to all of the cases she handles — at trial and on appeal.
- [Attorney Nick Mermiges, Esq.](https://ndmlaw.com/page/nick-mermiges/index.md): Nick brings years of South Carolina family court experience and an elite academic background to all of the cases he handles. He fights hard for his clients to accomplish their goals and protect their interests.

## Practice areas

- [Child Custody Attorneys in Columbia, SC](https://ndmlaw.com/page/custody/index.md): Custody decisions shape the course of children's and their parents' lives. When you're dealing with questions of custody, it's absolutely critical to have a skilled lawyer on your side.
- [Civil Litigation](https://ndmlaw.com/page/civil/index.md): Are you dealing with a breach of contract or business dispute? Attorney Nick Mermiges has the skills and the experience you need to make things right. Call (803) 587-0472 for a consultation today.
- [Divorce Attorneys in Columbia, SC](https://ndmlaw.com/page/divorce/index.md): Divorce cases can follow you for the rest of your life. What you do before you file suit can affect how your entire case unfolds — and how your fresh start begins.
- [Military Divorce Attorneys in Columbia, SC](https://ndmlaw.com/page/military-divorce/index.md): Military divorce cases involve legal issues that ordinary divorces do not — pension division, PCS orders, deployment custody, and the intersection of military regulations with South Carolina family law.
- [What We Practice](https://ndmlaw.com/page/practice-areas/index.md): Our lawyers have handled hundreds of divorce, custody, and family cases in South Carolina — from negotiated settlements to contested trials and appeals.

## Articles and white papers

- [Can I Get an Emergency Custody Order in South Carolina?](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/papers/emergency-custody-south-carolina/index.md): When a child's safety is at stake, the family court can act within days, and sometimes the same day. Here is the standard for ex parte and expedited relief, and the situations that meet it.
- [Can I Use My Spouse's Text Messages Against Them — and Can They Use Mine?](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/papers/text-messages-evidence-south-carolina/index.md): Text messages are often the most persuasive evidence in a South Carolina divorce or custody case. Whether they help you or destroy you depends on two things: how you got them, and how you handle them.
- [Chapter 61 Disability Retirement, CRDP, and Divorce: A Recent DoD Reversal That Restores What Many Military Spouses Lost](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/papers/chapter-61-crdp-update/index.md): The Department of Defense's February 2026 revision to its Financial Management Regulation materially changes the division of military retired pay for Chapter 61 medical retirees who qualify for CRDP.
- [Grandparents' Rights to Visitation and Custody in South Carolina](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/papers/grandparent-custody/index.md): What happens when grandparents have raised a grandchild for months or years and a biological parent wants them back — or when a divorce suddenly cuts grandparents off from visitation?
- [High Asset & Complex Divorces in South Carolina](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/papers/high-asset-divorce/index.md): When one spouse controls the money, the other can be left in the dark. The recurring issues in high-asset divorces — and what a prepared attorney looks for.
- [How Do I Change Custody or Child Support After the Final Order?](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/papers/modifying-custody-child-support-south-carolina/index.md): A final order is final — until someone proves a substantial change in circumstances. Here is what that phrase actually means, what tends to qualify, and how modification cases are won and lost.
- [My Ex Isn't Following Our Court Order or Agreement. What Can I Do?](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/papers/enforcing-family-court-orders-contempt/index.md): A family court order is enforceable — but only through the court, only if the violation was willful, and only if the order was actually entered. Here is how enforcement works, and what to do when the other side backs out of a signed agreement.
- [My Spouse Won't Turn Over Documents: How Discovery Enforcement Works in South Carolina Family Court](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/papers/discovery-enforcement-family-court/index.md): When a spouse ignores discovery in a South Carolina divorce or custody case, the rules give the judge a ladder — a good-faith letter, a motion to compel, and fee awards that are the default, not the exception.
- [Prenuptial Agreements in South Carolina: Scope and Proper Execution](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/papers/prenup-paper/index.md): South Carolina has no statute that comprehensively governs prenups. What can be bargained away, and what does it take to execute an agreement that will hold up?
- [Who Gets the Business? Who Gets the Retirement? Dividing Complex Assets in a South Carolina Divorce](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/papers/dividing-businesses-retirement-accounts-divorce/index.md): The name on the account decides almost nothing. What decides the outcome is a date, a distinction between two kinds of growth, and the difference between a business's value and its owner's talent.

## FAQs

- [Alimony & Child Support — Frequently Asked Questions](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/faq/alimony/index.md): Answers to the most common questions our clients ask about alimony (spousal support) and child support in South Carolina.
- [Custody & Visitation — Frequently Asked Questions](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/faq/custody/index.md): Answers to the most common questions our clients ask about child custody and visitation in South Carolina — the types of custody, standard visitation schedules, and the restrictions courts can impose.
- [Divorce — Frequently Asked Questions](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/faq/divorce/index.md): Answers to the most common questions our clients ask about the divorce process in South Carolina — grounds for divorce, the court process from filing through trial, and the scenarios that come up most often.
- [Military Divorce — Frequently Asked Questions](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/faq/military-divorce/index.md): Answers to the most common questions our clients ask about military divorce and custody cases in South Carolina. Columbia is home to Fort Jackson, and our firm has substantial experience representing active duty service members, veterans, and military spouses.
- [Property Division — Frequently Asked Questions](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/faq/property-division/index.md): Answers to the most common questions our clients ask about the division of marital property and debts in South Carolina — equitable distribution, how specific assets are classified, and how the court values and divides property.

## Videos

- [Equitable Division of Marital Assets and Debts in Divorce](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/videos/equitable-division/index.md): Columbia, SC Divorce Attorney Nick Mermiges explains how the Court divides marital assets and debts in divorce, and what specific property and debts are classified as marital versus non-marital under South Carolina law.
- [Filing for Separation in South Carolina](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/videos/filing-for-separation/index.md): Columbia SC Divorce Attorney Nick Mermiges explains what it really means to 'file for separation' before a divorce in South Carolina, what relief the Court can order, and when it makes sense to bring an action for separate support and maintenance.
- [Grounds for Divorce in South Carolina](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/videos/grounds-for-divorce/index.md): Columbia SC Divorce Lawyer Nick Mermiges explains both the no-fault and fault-based grounds for divorce in South Carolina, as well as the specific evidence that must be presented in order to prove each ground.
- [How Alimony is Calculated & Alimony Modifications in South Carolina](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/videos/alimony/index.md): Columbia, SC Divorce Attorney Nick Mermiges explains how entitlement to alimony is treated by South Carolina divorce courts, the different types of alimony, the most important factors used to calculate alimony, and the grounds for modification or termination of an alimony obligation.
- [Military Divorce & Custody: Common Issues in South Carolina](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/videos/military-divorce/index.md): Columbia, SC Divorce Attorney Nick Mermiges discusses the most common issues unique to military divorce and custody cases in South Carolina, including military retirement and pension division, PCS orders affecting custody, and calculation of child support with military pay and allowances.

## Knowledge Center topics

- [Child Custody in South Carolina](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/topics/custody/)
- [Divorce in South Carolina](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/topics/divorce/)
- [Property Division in South Carolina](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/topics/property/)
- [Alimony & Child Support in South Carolina](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/topics/support/)
- [Military Families in South Carolina](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/topics/military/)
- [Modification & Enforcement in South Carolina](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/topics/modification-enforcement/)
- [Discovery & Evidence in South Carolina](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/topics/evidence/)
- [Family Court Procedure in South Carolina](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/topics/procedure/)

## Site

- [Knowledge Center](https://ndmlaw.com/page/resources/)
- [Consultation](https://ndmlaw.com/consult/)
- [Full text](https://ndmlaw.com/llms-full.txt)