Marty Burbank, JD, LLM of OC Elder Law and Confidants Recount His Career and the Powerful Inspirations Behind It
Marty Burbank, JD, LLM of OC Elder Law has been named one of the 100 most influential people in Orange County, and he has the experience to back up this accolade. For Marty, working with seniors is at the heart and soul of the business. He is also passionate about working with veterans and families of veterans to make sure they get the benefits they are entitled to. Elderly veterans can be eligible for a variety of benefits, including disability compensation, pension, education and training, healthcare, home loans, insurance, vocational rehabilitation and employment, and burial, and Marty Burbank helps fight for them.
Marty was inspired to become an elder attorney after advocating for the rights of elderly individuals in his own family. His paternal grandmother struggled with Lewy body dementia, a type of progressive dementia that leads to decline in thinking, reasoning, and independent function because of abnormal microscopic deposits that damage brain cells over time. In addition to that, his maternal grandmother suffered with Alzheimer’s disease and came to live with Marty and his family in her later years. When he was caring for his grandma with Alzheimer’s, he realized what a blessing it was to lead by example and show his children how to dedicate themselves to the lives of others. After leaving the military, it was this ability that inspired him to pursue the specific line of work we now refer to as elder law.
In the video below, we spoke with Antoinette Balta, JD, LLM, who has a lot in common with Marty. In addition to being attorneys, they are both military affiliated. Marty is a 12-year veteran of the Navy, Medical Deep-Sea Diver working extensively with Navy Seal teams. On top of his experience as a corpsman, he worked in the ICU at the Naval Academy in San Diego. As a young man working in the hospital, he felt great honor in working with families who had lived through difficult times with their elders, and he was inspired by how optimistic they remained about life despite these hardships.
Antoinette is a Board Advisor for the National Association of Veteran-Serving Organizations and Integrated Recovery Foundation, a group dedicated to providing housing and mental health survivors of military sexual assault. She is also a member of the OC Veterans and Military Families Collaborative, Chair of its Legal/Re-Entry Working Group, and previously served as Vice Chair of its Steering Committee. She holds Marty in high esteem and has enjoyed their collaboration as they work to protect the best interests of veterans.
We also talk with a dear friend of Marty’s named Susan Embry. She and Marty’s careers have a rich history together, and she has known Marty since he was new in the industry and had been practicing for only two years. From the beginning, she could tell he had a high level of compassion for families struggling with loved ones who had dementia. In the years following, he has proven to be a trusted advocate for those who cannot advocate on their own behalf, and Susan testifies to that in the video below.
According to Marty, the legal portion of his work is only a fraction of his overall mission. On top of the legalities of his job, his higher calling is to help elderly individuals and their families who are struggling through difficult times and make sure they get the rights they deserve. He credits Alzheimer’s Orange County for helping him become a better lawyer and understanding the specific needs of elderly individuals.
To work with Marty Burbank or one of our other skilled and experienced elder law attorneys, give us a call at (800) 220-4205 or contact us online. To watch the video on the Alzheimer's Orange County YouTube page, click here.
