Estimating your Research Costs
What might professional research cost?
While the value of professional genealogical research is in the same value-realm as for a lawyer preparing estate matters, or for an accountant preparing important family records, the fee we charge is only about one-third to one-half of their hourly rates. Currently, we charge only $55.00 per hour (soon to increase to $75.00). As a general guideline, tracking a family by one surname through one recent generation, takes about four hours. Typically, most often, the research will follow the y-chromosome line (father-to-son), with the name of the wife located, but her parents not developed. Within that family unit, one of the sons will be the target (the son who is in the client's direct bloodline). Other siblings, male and female, will be identified but not tracked in detail.The next generation begins when the father of the target son is identified, with records. And so on. This may sound male-oriented, but read on.
However, there is great flexibilty, and the client can determine the direction and degree of research. Both the maternal and paternal lines can be traced.
As a guideline, think of the number of individuals whom you want to trace back in time, and the number of records you might need to find. For example, locating wills can be very time consuming, whereas marriage and birth records are less difficult. Family narratives or biographical accounts may or may not be found.
Next, make a rough estimate of the number of hours which you would honestly think might be required, and multiply that by our hourly rate of $55.00.
Many short but accurate family accounts going back three generations can be achieved in the range of $500 - $700. Extensive and detailed family reports can run up to several thousand dollars.
If you have seriously considered these factors and have a possible budget in mind, you can submit your thoughts, and we will consider the project briefly & provide an estimate. If you have a set budget or limit, we can tell you what might be possible within your available budget.
The Monthly Retainer is a good way to proceed. For example, with a Monthly fee or retainer of $500.00 for three months, the client will receive about nine hours of focussed professional attention and research, with a Report each month.
However, there is great flexibilty, and the client can determine the direction and degree of research. Both the maternal and paternal lines can be traced.
As a guideline, think of the number of individuals whom you want to trace back in time, and the number of records you might need to find. For example, locating wills can be very time consuming, whereas marriage and birth records are less difficult. Family narratives or biographical accounts may or may not be found.
Next, make a rough estimate of the number of hours which you would honestly think might be required, and multiply that by our hourly rate of $55.00.
Many short but accurate family accounts going back three generations can be achieved in the range of $500 - $700. Extensive and detailed family reports can run up to several thousand dollars.
If you have seriously considered these factors and have a possible budget in mind, you can submit your thoughts, and we will consider the project briefly & provide an estimate. If you have a set budget or limit, we can tell you what might be possible within your available budget.
The Monthly Retainer is a good way to proceed. For example, with a Monthly fee or retainer of $500.00 for three months, the client will receive about nine hours of focussed professional attention and research, with a Report each month.
"Please tell me of our family, grandfather."
Payment Methods and Details, after we agree on your project..
At Ancestry.com and Expert Connect, a project fee must be paid in full before any work begins. We follow the same procedure. All of our products and research services are prepaid using Pay Pal. When we agree to a fee, after discussing your needs via email, you will be sent an email invoice from our Pay Pal account. If you prefer to send a money order or some other method, we will advise you exactly how to do this. Do not send payment by any method, without first discussing it with us by email. Any non-Pay Pal alternate methods will cause delays of up to one month, while funds are cleared. When payment is completed, your product or service will begin, and you will be advised of this by email.
Guarantees and Limitations
When we hire a lawyer to investigate an important matter of which the outcome is not known in advance, we pay a retainer or fee to pay for the professional service, even if the lawyer does not find in our favour, or does not find what we expect. We follow the same principal. We guarantee that we will conduct the number of hours of research which you have paid for, and will explore all possible sources which can be found within the time frame which your budget allows. We guarantee that we will provide a Completion Report, which will include any and all sources, notes, and analysis which we use or discover, including any source records.
The chief obstacle to the best possible solution to your family research, is the budget. Many records are hidden in unexpected locations. Sometimes, research field trips must be carried out to look for information. Occasionally, the desired records are NOT found. We will attempt to project these possibilites when we prepare your estimate, but there can be no guarantee in advance, of what might be found during the research.
Therefore, you will be agreeing to pay in advance for the research provided in our suggestions, and provided for by your budget, and for the Completion Report which will be provided at the end of the research for your specific project.You are not paying for specific guaranteed results.
If we recommend extending your budget to accomodate further research, you should consider this possibility. However, even in this case, there can be no guarantee of specific results. Forensic Genealogy methods will be applied for missing records.
The chief obstacle to the best possible solution to your family research, is the budget. Many records are hidden in unexpected locations. Sometimes, research field trips must be carried out to look for information. Occasionally, the desired records are NOT found. We will attempt to project these possibilites when we prepare your estimate, but there can be no guarantee in advance, of what might be found during the research.
Therefore, you will be agreeing to pay in advance for the research provided in our suggestions, and provided for by your budget, and for the Completion Report which will be provided at the end of the research for your specific project.You are not paying for specific guaranteed results.
If we recommend extending your budget to accomodate further research, you should consider this possibility. However, even in this case, there can be no guarantee of specific results. Forensic Genealogy methods will be applied for missing records.
NOTE: Limitations also mean Opportunites
However, note that in 90% of all research trips and projects, we achieve ALL of the objectives which the client hopes for. In an additional 8%, we achieve MORE than the client hopes for. In the other 2%, we achieve less than the client & we expect or hope for. Your best 'guarantee', is to read the comment of our previous clients.
Have a look at the process of billing, between us & a client. There is always more than one option available. Click the green arrow to view a sample billing process which is ongoing in early March 2011.
