It can be easy to type a name into a search engine and get a lot of matches, but it can be difficult to determine if the results are any good. Are you sure that the will you’re looking at is for the father and not the son? Did the transcriber copy the names of the heirs correctly? A professional will evaluate each piece of evidence to ensure its relevancy and accuracy.

You can spend a lot of time bouncing around cyberspace and wasting time if you don’t know the best places to look. A professional knows what sources are most likely to provide clues and answers and builds a research plan with that in mind.

You can end up with half a dozen subscriptions to websites and memberships for organizations you don’t know whether you’ll need. A professional has many of those subscriptions and memberships already, so you don’t have to.

Maybe you’ve conducted hours of research already, but you still haven’t found an answer to your question. That’s what genealogists call hitting a brick wall. A professional can review the work you’ve already done from a new perspective and offer new ideas of where to look next.

You have a busy life and just want the results! Trust me, anyone who has logged onto an ancestry website to do some “quick research” has probably seen hours of their day/week/year disappear as they fell down the rabbit hole that can be genealogy. A professional can do the work while you get on with your life.

You want to know the story of your ancestors, but you have no interest in doing the research. There’s no shame in that. Learning about your family’s roots can be exciting, but not everyone loves doing the digging. I love digging for roots, so let me do the work for you!

I’m glad you asked! We’ll start by talking through what you know - or what you think you know - already, and how you know it. If you’ve done any research already or hired a professional in the past, I’ll want copies of the sources and findings so I don’t duplicate efforts.

I charge an hourly fee for my research services. You will be responsible for paying a retainer for the full amount oI time contracted before I will begin work on your project. You will receive a refund for any of the retainer not used at the end of your project.

If there is a fee for any record (such as a widow’s pension application file from the National Archives), I will ask you for your approval in advance and include that cost in a bill to be issued monthly, unless you pre-approve miscellaneous expenses in your contract.

Each project - and research subject - is different! If your great grandfather had a common name, for instance, it might take longer to ensure that a record refers to him than if your ancestor had a very unique name. Maybe the courthouse records where your ancestor lived were destroyed so substitute documents need to be located. I will do my best at the beginning of your project to estimate how much time I will need to conduct research and keep you informed of any speed bumps along the way.

I will never charge you for additional time spent on your project without your approval first. You will authorize a certain number of research hours at the beginning of the project. I will provide you with regular status updates to let you know how the work is progressing, and we can revise the agreement if necessary.

Unfortunately, I can’t guarantee success when taking on a research project. Sometimes the records just don’t exist or the evidence is too complex to provide the proof that is needed to answer a genealogical question. I have years of experience and am constantly taking courses and attending webinars so that I know the best sources for information. If I’m not familiar with a type of record or a geographic location, I will be upfront with you and will not charge you for the time it takes me to familiarize myself with these things before conducting the research for your specific project.

When we discuss your project, we’ll agree on how you want to receive my findings. I can show you examples of previous work I’ve done to help you decide how the information is presented. Whether you want me to prepare a lineage application, a family tree, or a biographical sketch, I will provide your report electronically with sources fully cited, where applicable. Printing and shipping are separate and will be billed at cost.

First, we’ll schedule 30 minutes for you to tell me what you’re interested in learning and for me to explain my business to you. If we need more time, that’s not a problem. I will prepare a contract for you to sign. When I receive the signed contract and your retainer, I will begin the research. I will provide you regular project updates and accounting of time spent and time remaining. If you have an extensive project, we might discuss breaking it up into smaller phases. When my work is complete, we will schedule time to review the final report.

As a professional genealogist, I not only do genealogical research but I also promote my work on my website, conduct presentations, and write for genealogical publications. I like to use “real-life” examples in these instances but do not use client-sponsored research without the client’s permission. If you would allow me to use the work I did for you in this way, or to use you as a reference for future clients, I will ask you to sign a client release form (see sample release form).

As I like to say, “I only find dead people.” I will use DNA results to the extent that it can add clarification to evidence found through traditional research. However, I do not engage in research to locate living people. If you are trying to locate a birth parent or grandparent who is likely still living, I recommend that you search the Association of Professional Genealogists for someone who specializes in genetic genealogy. You can access the directory here.