Michael A. Halliday - Mesa, AZ

Michael Halliday was born and raised in Mesa, AZ. He is the youngest of 4 children. Michael learned early on the importance of establishing a proper estate plan. He witnessed firsthand his mom and aunts fighting over his grandmother's meager estate, causing a rift in their relationship that would last until his aunts died. This experience shaped Michael's focus to ensure individuals and families could avoid this unnecessary trauma and have peace of mind by establishing and maintaining a suitable estate plan.

Experience

Michael attended Mesa Community College earning an Associates of Arts degree and then graduated from Arizona State University, Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chinese. During his time at ASU, he participated in a 9-week Chinese language immersion program at the Peoples University in Beijing China. After graduation, he attended Willamette University, College of Law and in 2004. After his first year in law school, he attended a 5-week International Law program at the East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai, China.

Professional Experience

He worked at a small firm out of law school. It was at this law firm that he learned the vital significance of proper planning for individuals and families. This experience ultimately set the stage to open his own firm a few years later and focus primarily on estate planning, guardianships and conservatorships, and trust/probate administration.

He joined the Morris Hall team in 2018 and instantly felt a sense of comradery and purpose. He has experienced first-hand how Morris Hall gives back to the community through seminars, question and answer series, participation in charitable events (Phoenix Children's Hospital - Ignite Hope; St. Mary's Food Bank and Feed My Starving Children - food packing), and generous charitable donations.

He is a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys and is a member of the State Bar of Arizona and Oregon. While in Oregon, Michael sat on the Board of Directors for five years for the Willamette Heritage Center (formerly Mission Mill Museum), a non-profit organization whose aim is to preserve historical buildings and artifacts for the education and benefit of the local community. Since moving to Arizona, Michael volunteers with the Arizona Animal Welfare League ("AAWL") providing free pet trust seminars.

Personal

Michael is married to his high school sweetheart, Amy Jo and they have 4 beautiful and healthy children and a rescue dachshund named Noodles. He enjoys basketball, golf and hiking with his wife and kids. Not only has Michael served many clients over the last 16 years as an attorney, but he has spent thousands of hours as a volunteer coach (including basketball, baseball, soccer, and volleyball), as a leader in the Boy Scouts of America, as well as various positions for his church.