max wachtel, phd

Partner, Forensic Psychologist

I’m a psychologist, licensed in both Colorado and Wyoming, and I’m credentialed to conduct forensic evaluations in 41 states. To date, I’ve conducted evaluations in 21 states. 

I earned a BA in psychology (1995). I have an MA and PhD in counseling psychology (1997 and 2001, respectively), and I’ve engaged in hundreds of hours of training in forensic psychology, forensic assessment, geriatric psychology, and neuropsychology. 

Since 2004, I’ve owned my forensic psychology practice. Roughly 50% of my practice is clinical, where I evaluate and treat older adults. About 25% of my practice involves evaluations where the person in question is deceased. The remainder of my practice involves working with criminal defendants and civil litigants. I’ve conducted more than 2,000 evaluations, including hundreds of evaluations of testamentary and contractual capacity and undue influence in 11 states. 

I’ve presented on guardianship, conservatorship, will contests, testamentary capacity, contractual capacity, capacity to direct counsel, and undue influence. Many of these qualified as Continuing Legal Education for elder law attorneys. 

I’ve testified under oath more than 115 times for both plaintiffs and defendants. I’ve never failed to be qualified as an expert, and I’ve been qualified in both the legal and psychological aspects of undue influence. 

I was also on the faculty of the University of Denver for 12 years, where I taught graduate classes in psychological and neuropsychological assessment, and in psychological ethics.  

I’ve written three books, and I’ve studied and written about undue influence statutes and case law in all 50 states. 

I grew up in Wyoming, where I developed a love of hiking, skiing, camping, and running. I ran my first race at 10, and I completed my first triathlon at 14. 

My mission is to serve justice and uphold the rights of people with emotional and cognitive disorders.

kim wachtel

Partner, COO

What do two geology degrees, an MBA, a 25-year-long career in tech, and leading operations for a psychology practice have in common? They’re all things I have loved and done as part of my career. Some folks might find my path a bit random, and they’d be right. But, there’s one major throughline: 

I crave learning. When I get curious, I can also get a bit obsessive; I tend to learn a lot quickly. But, for me, it’s not enough to learn for learning’s sake (although, that is fun). I want to make the world better, so I put what I’ve learned into practice, particularly if it will help people. This is a core strength of mine, and I find it energizing. 

I have a BS in Geology and an MS in Hydrogeology. I love science. I’ve never worked professionally in the field, but this training has informed so much that I do. I like to think it’s made me a curious person and a life-long learner. It’s equipped me with the confidence to ask tough questions, to dig in to find the answers, and to seek out experts who can help me answer questions. 

I have 25 years of experience in tech, from coding to user and customer experience to product management, including 12 years in leadership and strategic roles. I’ve worked on a mission-critical outage management system for electric utilities, SaaS collaboration and communication products, and led a UX team of 22 focused on making directory and identity services secure and usable. 

Along the way, I earned an MBA from the University of Denver. 

In early 2023, I took a major leap of faith: I stepped away from my career in tech to partner with Max on his practice. I apply my experience to lead operations, brand, and customer experience for the practice. Max and I have always collaborated on strategy, and we still do so today. Together, our mission is to serve justice, providing unbiased, expert, and person-centered forensic psychological assessments. It’s my latest career twist, and I love it. 

Max and I are married with two incredible kids and two cute pups. We’re excited and appreciative that we’re able to partner on this practice together. 

I enjoy biking, walking (anything in nature, really), gardening, cooking, traveling, music, doodling, and hanging out with family, friends, and neighbors.