Is it Worth it to Hire a Professional Genealogist

Recently, I have seen the following question in a few Facebook groups.

Is it worth it to hire a professional genealogist?

The replies were enough to aggravate any professional genealogist. Here are just a few comments I read on this subject:

• They offer crappy research.
• I proved the information they gave to me is not true.
• They are just taking your money.

Here are some places I recommend to anyone to look when hiring a professional genealogist:

1. Get a recommendation from your local genealogy society.
2. Get a recommendation from your local research library.
3. Get a recommendation from a friend that is active in the genealogy community.
4. Search for a professional genealogist on the APG website.

Some things you might want to know before you hire a professional:

• What is their genealogy education?
• Are they certified through the BCG or ICAPGen? (I am not saying they have to be certified to be a professional.)
• How long have they been researching?
• Can you get any recommendations from past clients?
• Are they affiliated with any societies, or organizations?
• Are they active in the genealogy community?

Personally, I believe that it is worth it to hire someone to help you get past a brick wall or even do on the ground research in a location that you cannot get to. It can be cheaper than you planning a trip to get one record. Remember, not everything is on the internet and it could be another decade before the record you need will be put online.

Comments

comments