Brilhante & Ott

Located in Aiken, South Carolina, Brilhante & Ott focuses our practice on family law, mediation, victim representation, special education law, DSS representation, as well as guardianships and conservatorships.

Contact Us

By making an appointment for an initial consultation, you will have a chance to meet with an attorney at Brilhante & Ott to discuss your case and receive an assessment from an attorney specializing in the practice of family law. We offer experienced legal counsel that you can trust from the very beginning of your case. Request your initial Consultation:
By Phone:
803-634-7352
By Email:
office@brilhanteandott.com
Or, fill out this brief online form and we will contact you.
 

Areas of Practice

  • Family Court

    Bringing a case in family court, whether it be a highly contested divorce or a grandparent adoption, is emotionally taxing and impossible to navigate without competent counsel. The attorneys at Brilhante & Ott are here to help guide you through the difficulties and obstacles of family court. We provide compassionate and experienced representation to achieve the best resolution for your family.

  • Guardian ad Litem

    The court requires the appointment of a Guardian ad Litem when a family court case involves a minor child or a probate case involves an allegedly incapacitated person. As a Guardian ad Litem, the attorneys at Brilhante & Ott will conduct an investigation and help the Court determine what case outcome is in the best interest of the minor child or incapacitated adult.

  • Mediation

    At first, it may seem impossible to reach an agreement in a family court case as to child custody, visitation, child support, and division of the martial assets. During mediation, the attorneys at Brilhante & Ott will serve as objective and neutral third-parties to help you and the other party to the case reach an agreement that works for everyone.

  • Collaborative Divorce

    From what you have seen in movies, jokes you have heard in stand‐up comedy, and what your friends have shared, you may think that divorce process is contentious and stressful. During trials, former friends and family say ugly things about each other to ensure the judge rules in their favor. Then, when they leave the courtroom, those former spouses have to immediately start co-parenting.

    Well, your own divorce process does not have to look like this. There is a new way of approaching divorce that has spread worldwide and is now in South Carolina—it is called Collaborative Divorce.



Additional Specializations

  • Victim
    Representation
  • DSS
    Representation
  • Education
    Law
  • Guardianship/
    Conservatorship

  Victim Representation
Victims of crime need specialized representation in family court by an attorney that understands how criminal charges and investigations can impact divorce, child custody, and visitation. Let the attorneys at Brilhante & Ott be your voice in the court room and make sure it is heard.

  DSS Representation
When you have a court case with the South Carolina Department of Social Services, you need an experienced family court attorney who understands how this type of case is unique and different from other cases in the family court. You don’t want just any attorney representing you in a DSS case, you need an attorney that knows how that case can affect your family in the long term and what other cases you may need to bring in family court.

  Special Education Law
If you have a child with special needs, then you are already used to fighting for your child’s best outcome—whether it be in the doctor’s office or with your child’s school. Working with an attorney experienced in special education law and representing children in disciplinary matters can help you be your child’s best advocate and receive the services that your child needs.

  Guardianships/​Conservatorships
If your loved one can no longer make the best decisions concerning their healthcare and finances, then you may need to bring a guardianship and/or conservatorship in probate court requesting that you be appointed to make these decisions for them. With the assistance of an attorney from Brilhante & Ott, you’ll be able to navigate this challenging process and arrive at a solution that best suits the needs of your family.

About Us

Jessica Brilhante and Taylor Ott first met each other when they represented opposing parties in a divorce case. Although they met on opposite sides of the courtroom, they quickly struck up a friendship, working on other family court cases together over the following six years. Jessica and Taylor are thrilled to be working together serving families in Aiken and the surrounding counties. They think that if you want Brilhante service, you Ott to call Brilhante & Ott.

Jessica BrilhanteJessica Brilhante

Jessica has been licensed in South Carolina since 2011.  In 2008, she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Science and Business Administration from the University of South Carolina, Aiken.  She graduated from the Charlotte School of Law in 2011, where she was on the editorial board of the Law Review and was a member of the Order of the Crown.  After becoming licensed to practice law in South Carolina that same year, Jessica worked as a fellow for South Carolina Legal Services.  In 2012, she opened Brilhante Law Office in Bluffton, South Carolina.  Before relocating to Aiken in 2015, Jessica served as the leader of the Sea Island Region of South Carolina Women in Law Association.  Jessica is married to Justin McKinney of Aiken, South Carolina and they have three daughters together.

Taylor OttTaylor Ott

Taylor is a native of Spartanburg, South Carolina. She attended Winthrop University and received a Bachelor’s Degree in English in 2009.  In 2012, she graduated from the University of South Carolina’s School of Law, where she was on the editorial board of the Journal of Law and Education and was a member of the Public Interest Law Society. Taylor then served as a law clerk for the Honorable Eugene C. Griffith, Jr. in the Eighth Judicial Circuit.  After a few years working in state government and private practice, she joined South Carolina Legal Services in 2015 as a staff attorney in the firm’s Orangeburg office and as the firm’s Elder Law Unit Head.  Taylor was a member of the South Carolina Bar’s Leadership Academy Class of 2020.  She now lives in a small town in the Midlands with her family and yard full of sheep.

April StrattonApril Stratton

April is the newest member of our team joining in January 2021. She has received further education through Spartanburg Methodist College and University of South Carolina- Aiken for Secondary Education with a focus in history. She focuses on managing the cases with you directly and is available to help when your attorney is unavailable. She enjoys traveling to visit family in New York and spending time with her cat, Cujo.