Professional Genealogist
Services
& Fees
"TO GIVE REAL SERVICE YOU MUST ADD SOMETHING WHICH CANNOT BE BOUGHT OR MEASURED WITH MONEY, AND THAT IS SINCERITY AND INTEGRITY."
DOUGLAS ADAMS
Research Relative Proof, LLC performs research and analysis at $125 per hour. Relative Proof's hourly billing rate does not include additional costs, which can include but are not limited to, vital record/document fees, microfilm rental, photocopying and scanning fees, parking fees, and/or postage for which the client is responsible. Any and all such charges will be communicated to the client for approval prior to any actions being taken. Before any research begins, the client will be asked to sign an engagement letter and provide Relative Proof with any previous research, findings, or documentation he or she may have regarding the individual or family to be researched (aka the “Client Materials”). Review of “Client Materials" will be billed at $125 per hour, with the first hour of review being done at no charge. All new clients must provide a non-refundable retainer of 50% for research to begin. Relative Proof will deliver the final work product only after final payment has been received. Please note, Relative Proof has a twenty hour minimum requirement for research projects with Relative Proof's time being reserved in five hour increments thereafter. Should a project be completed in less than twenty hours of work, the client will be charged for only the time used, but all initial engagements are for a minimum of twenty hours. Relative Proof will in turn develop an effective research plan, provide a research log of all resources and repositories searched, and present the correlation of all the collected evidence relative to the research goal in a documented, written format.
Document Retrieval The cost of document retrieval depends upon the amount of time it takes to retrieve the document(s) in need; therefore, how far away the repository is and whether or not the client knows the exact location/citation of the needed document(s) will determine the client's cost. Relative Proof charges $125 an hour for time spent retrieving a document. Parking fees, photocopying/scanning charges, microfilm rental, and local repository fees for the document(s) will be passed on to the client. Mileage is not charged to the client. Again, no such fees will be charged without first communicating them to the client for approval. Relative Proof has fairly easy access to Cobb, Dekalb, Forsyth, Fulton, and Gwinnett county repositories.
Lineage Applications Joining a lineage society not only ensures your family history is documented and preserved for future generations, but it also connects you with others who are interested in family history. Relative Proof will provide a free one hour consultation of your previously collected documents. Any further review of previously collected documents, as well as further research, will be billed at $125 per hour with possible additional document, photocopying, microfilm rental, and/or postage charges. Such additional charges will be communicated to the client for approval prior to any actions being taken. Please note, when applying for acceptance into a lineage society, Relative Proof cannot guarantee acceptance. Relative Proof will work within the guidelines of the lineage society for which you are applying.
Transcription One hour minimum, at hourly rate of $125 an hour.
Gift Certificates Family history is a gift to be cherished and is perfect for special anniversaries, birthdays, weddings, and/or new babies.