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Holly Birnbaum Martin
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Holly Birnbaum Martin specializes in representing individuals and fiduciaries to aid and protect disabled adults through Special Needs Planning, Estate Planning, and Estate Administration.
Holly has extensive experience navigating complex family dynamics, especially in the area of adult Guardianships due to mental illness, age related decline, and adults with disabilities. Holly also serves as a fiduciary for disabled adults, both court appointed and as named Trustee. Holly’s practice focuses on navigating families through the court system and working with them to find a solution to best fit their needs.
About
Holly’s practice specializes in adult guardianship proceedings. Holly is particularly skilled at handling cases with complex family dynamics, including families in crisis—whether due to a loved one’s death, a family member who suffers from mental illness, dementia or age-related decline, or a guardianship or estate-related family dispute. Holly also assists parents of adult children with disabilities establish guardianship. She strives to serve her clients with compassion and integrity, helping them navigate life events that can be both legally and emotionally challenging.
Holly grew up in Chapel Hill and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She attended law school at Tulane, graduating as a merit scholar in 2003. That same year, Holly was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar.
Prior to joining Manning Fulton, Holly served as an Assistant Public Defender in Orange County, working in the Community Resource Court where she gained valuable experience working with individuals facing mental health and substance abuse challenges. She also worked as an attorney in the Gaston County Department of Social Services, handling child support enforcement, child abuse and neglect cases, and adult abuse and neglect cases, including adult guardianship proceedings.
In 2014, Holly moved to Colorado and was admitted to the Colorado State Bar. While there she focused her practice around divorce and child custody actions, eventually starting her own law firm. In 2018, Holly returned to North Carolina to be near family and practiced with McPherson Rocamora, a boutique trusts and estate firm where she began to focus her practice on adult guardianships. Since joining MFS, Holly has chosen to focus her career on guardianship matters and is an effective advocate because of her wealth of experience working with families and the court.
Holly’s dedication to her clients extends beyond legal representation. She actively participates in the Judea Reform Congregation and her daughter’s school, demonstrating her deep connection to the Chapel Hill and Durham communities. With her extensive experience and compassionate approach, Holly is a trusted advocate for individuals and families seeking guidance and support in challenging legal matters.
Credentials
Education
- Tulane Law School, New Orleans, Louisiana – Juris Doctorate – 2003
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Bachelor of Arts, Sociology – 1998
Admitted to Practice
- North Carolina, 2003
- Colorado, 2014
Professional Memberships & Activities
- American Bar Association – Member
- North Carolina Bar Association – Member
- Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law and Family Law Sections
- Durham County Bar Association – Member
- Durham Orange Estate Planning Council – Member
- North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys – Member
- Durham Orange Women Attorneys – Member
- Recognized by Best Lawyers in America for Trusts and Estates (2027)
Community Engagement
Community Involvement
- Board Member Carolina Foundation for Jewish Seniors, 2024- present
- Fundraising Committee, Triangle Day School, 2022
- Fundraising Committee, Lerner Jewish Day School, 2018
- Fundraising Committee, Judea Reform Congregation, 2018
- Fundraising Chair, Congregation Har Shalom, 2016-2018
- Fundraising Committee, Congregation Har Shalom 2015-2016