Byron Divins, Esq.

Attorney Byron Divins has demonstrated tremendous dedication assisting low-income Nassau County residents in matrimonial matters, especially those with complex child support and custody issues. Since first joining the Volunteer Lawyers Project panel in 2012, Divins and his Garden City firm of Divins & Divins, P.C., has represented twenty-three pro bono clients, including nine contested divorce proceedings.

Divins concentrates his practice on family and criminal law, representing clients in Nassau, Suffolk, New York, Kings and Queens counties on issues varying from orders of protection, divorce, custody, visitation, child support and modification. His firm-wide commitment to pro bono means that each attorney there has graciously agreed to represent at least one matrimonial VLP client at any given time!

Divins takes great pride in his deeply rooted belief in service to his community. In fact, it was the concept of service to his fellow citizens that initially inspired him seek out pro bono work. When he first joined the VLP in 2012, Divins volunteered with the Landlord Tenant Attorney of the Day Program, which he found to be an excellent training experience. When he learned of the great need for matrimonial pro bono attorneys, he committed to using his expertise in that area.

One particularly rewarding matrimonial matter involved a defendant wife, a recent immigrant who was brought to this country by her husband. She and her children lived with her spouse in his parents’ house, where she was subjected to verbal abuse and treated like an indentured servant. When she resisted this treatment, her husband served her with divorce papers. Divins helped her to secure a satisfactory settlement, child support and custody arrangements. Due to his assistance, she was able to secure sufficient resources to move out and move forward in her life, establish a career and care for her children.

Divins emphasizes that the greatest reward associated with providing pro bono service is the unique opportunity to help marginalized members of the community gain access to justice. “My commitment to assisting at least one marginalized member of the community at all times allows me to do my part to increase access to justice for low-income Nassau County residents,” states Divins. “After all, the secret to living is giving.”

Divins graduated from SUNY Albany in 1993, and Touro Law School in 1996. Upon earning his J.D., he joined the U.S. Navy, where he spent thirteen years on active duty serving as a prosecutor, defense counsel and advisor to commanding officers throughout the world.

According to Susan Biller, Pro Bono Coordinator of the VLP, Divins “is one of those rare volunteers who can be counted on to take on the most challenged clients and contentiously contested matters. He brings his enthusiasm and passion for achieving justice to every case he handles. We are incredibly fortunate to be able to rely on him to assist our most needy clients.”

The Suffolk Pro Bono Project and Nassau’s Volunteer Lawyers Project work in cooperation with our local bar associations toward the goal of providing free legal assistance to Long Island residents who are dealing with severe economic hardship.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact:

Carolyn McQuade, Esq. at 631 232-2400,

Susan Biller, Esq. at 516 292-8299, or

Roberta Scoll, Esq. 516 292-8100

(Landlord/tenant Attorney of the Day Project).

Read more about our other Pro Bono Champions on our website.