If you’re stumbling across this post- you’re either a faithful reader (Thanks! ¡Gracias!) or you might be ready to bite the bullet to hire a genealogist but you might not exactly know how to go about it. Granted, I have only hired one genealogist twice myself, but having various years of genealogy under my belt and having taken (and currently taking) genealogy classes which discuss this topic – I thought I could offer some advice. So I’ve broken down the post into a few areas to consider as you decide on hiring a genealogist.
Give 'Em what you got...Literally!
One of the most important starts of a genealogical search is the information you already know. This is what we as genealogists use to build a paper trail, discover unused records, and develop potential theories and familiar connections. If you plan on hiring a genealogist, let them know what you have discovered, what you hope to find, and some successes/failures in your research. Ultimately, you do not want them to waste time (especially time you’re paying for) researching something you already know or have.
Say you want to learn more about your great-grandparents, you will want to provide any information you have, whether it be their baptisms, a marriage record, death records etc. to start their research. This can give the genealogist a place to start and it allows them to know that the documents you discovered are already in your hands and that there is no need to go looking for them.
Of course, there are times where you might want a genealogist to look over a set of records you might have used or glanced at but only briefly. For example, while conducting research in Spain I only looked for my direct ancestors in the church’s records. If I wanted, I could in turn hire a genealogist to discover siblings and other family members connected to me by looking over the record books I myself looked in to search for new people since I conducted a more narrow search in a short amount of time. Hiring a genealogist to complete this research might save me more time and money versus flying over to Spain myself to conduct the research (though I do love traveling and researching!).
Project Length/Feasibility
This is something that definitely is important to keep in mind. When we ask a genealogist to do research, the more specific a question, the better we hope a result of that problem will be. Asking a genealogist “to research my family” is a wide, open-ended question that could take months or years to “complete” (is genealogy truly ever complete…?). Are you looking for a specific ancestor? Interested in a specific branch? Looking to break down a brick wall? All of these questions will dictate what you may want to sign up for when hiring a genealogist.
Are you looking for a quick answer that will take a few hours in a research center (whether online or in person)? Or are you interested in a longer project where the genealogist investigates various lines or centuries of a family over a few months, from example? Being able to answer this yourself in a truthful manner will help you decide what is feasible and in what time frame. Also money might be a limitation for you so that is something to consider when hiring a genealogist for a big project.
Depending on the research, some questions will be easier to answer than others. For example, in hiring a genealogist in France to do research on my family in the French Caribbean, he was able to find some information on my ancestors in Martinique but so far nothing for my ancestors from Guadeloupe (mainly due to limited archival records and limited information that I have). This research was able to be completed over a few hours. While something like, “I want to find my first Rivera ancestor from Spain” could take a much longer time and potentially there is the possibility of having no solid answer. (I started out with this question 17 years ago and I still have not been able to answer it).
Expecting a genealogist to do all of your family search in a small window of time and for not much pay isn’t feasible for both parties. Also, a genealogist may decline taking a case if they feel they are not able to complete the research they are being asked. Keep this in mind as you decide who you want to hire and for what purpose.
doing your Genealogist research
Everyone will have a different approach to this. Some people might feel comfortable hiring an amateur genealogist or a professional genealogist, while some might want a certified genealogist. The main point is – do your research! There are two main certifications for genealogists, one via the Board of Certified Genealogists (BCG) and the second via ICAPGEN (International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists). Check out their sites to see what the accreditation process is for each organization!
Just because someone is certified doesn’t mean they are well versed in your specific region of interest or will always able to answer your question. Sometimes a professional genealogist might be able to do just that but has never sought out the title of “certified”. This is helpful to keep in mind because genealogists have different specialities in different areas and time frames, feeling more comfortable with research in some places over others.
Likewise, beware of genealogists who use public trees to do their research. Though a public online tree can be useful for hints or connecting/finding more recent generations, you want detailed information with original sources or citations that will allow you to locate the information yourself. If the information only goes back to an Ancestry tree, to me personally, that’s a red flag. Who put up this information in the first place? Is it reliable? What records back up these connections? Anyone can alter their tree online so make sure that the research being done isn’t based on public online trees.
I personally had a situation where some trees molded together two siblings and made them one person which from my research showed they actually were indeed two different brothers.
A great place to search for genealogists is the Association of Profesional Genealogists (APG). It was through here that I found the French genealogist I would ultimately work with. You can see their areas of interest/speciality, where they’re located, and usually list achievements, personal blogs, etc. You can search on the website to see who works with records from your region and how much experience they have doing it.
A search on the APG for “Puerto Rico” in the keyword option brings up 9 genealogists, which isn’t many. Most focus their research elsewhere it seems and have Puerto Rico as one of their potential research areas. Another search for “Martinique” or “Guadeloupe” in the keywords search brings up 0 genealogists but typing in “France” brings up 111 people!
Expectations/Contracts
Definitely feel free to reach out to a genealogist to see if they’re currently taking clients, what their fees are, and if the research you’re interested in doing is feasible. When I reached out to two genealogists in my hopes to have some French research done abroad, one was unavailable at the moment to do research, while the second was up for it and had a good understanding of the French notarial records I needed access to.
Once we established my interest, a contract was drawn up. I read it over, signed it digitally, returned it via email, and wired over a deposit for research to begin. The advance payment was 30% of the total which I felt comfortable sending over. After the research was completed, I forwarded the remaining money for the search.
Since I am able to read French, the genealogist was able to send over original documents and his analysis in French. If you need a translation of the documents or analysis, make sure that is clear to your genealogist. That easily can be a separate fee since genealogical translation is a task in and of itself.
A contract protects both you and the genealogist and ensures both payment (on their end) and product (on your end) to be delivered in a timely and professional manner. Some people who might know the genealogist they are hiring (whether it be a friend or associate) do not require a contract. Definitely consider it especially if the genealogist runs their business on research and/or if you’re hesitant, it’s always a good thing to have.
Conclusions
Ultimately, hiring a genealogist should be a fun experience that will hopefully progress your research. Some people enjoy doing the research themselves, while others rather pay a fee to have someone else do the legwork for them – and both are fine!
Sometimes being stuck in research might prompt you to want to hire someone to help you out. I would encourage you to look into genealogical groups, especially on Facebook if you are tight on money and would like some help as there are many people who are knowledgeable out there and could help lend a hand.
Nonetheless, I hope this has been helpful in thinking about hiring a genealogist!