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7 Reasons to Hire a Professional Genealogist

January 30, 2015 by Legacy Tree Genealogists 23 Comments

Hire a professional genealogist

With so many technological advances and record availability these days, one question we get fairly often is, “Why should I hire a professional genealogist? What can you do for me that I can’t do myself on [insert the name of any online genealogy site here]?”

There’s really no quick answer to these questions, but there are a lot of reasons people hire a professional. Some of them include the following:

Time. Learning more about your family tree can be extremely time-intensive. It’s not as easy as just clicking the little hint leaves on Ancestry.com. While those can be very helpful as a foundation, it’s important to have a primary source document that proves each piece of information (birth, marriage and death dates and places, parents, children, etc.) in your tree. These records are not all available online, nor are they always easy to find. A professional genealogist knows the most efficient and cost-effective ways of compiling all the sources you need to have an accurate family tree. Plus, if you have a special event coming up, like a birthday or anniversary of someone you love, a family reunion, or a trip overseas to the home of your ancestors…you might not have the time to do all the research on top of your already busy regular life!

Brick Walls. Most people who have spent time working on their genealogy have at least one line that seems to be at a complete dead end – known as a “brick wall” – that they need help breaking down. Professional genealogists have experience solving difficult genealogical problems, and have the knowledge and skills necessary to get past them. Many brick walls require in-depth research in land, tax and/or probate records, and most of those records are still not available online. The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah houses the largest collection of genealogical records in the world, so a genealogist who has ready access to that facility, in addition to a network of researchers for record access worldwide, will be able to search many additional records that you may not have access to.

Language Barriers/Foreign Research. For those who live in the United States or Australia, and many who live in other parts of the world as well, it’s a fact that at some point your ancestors came from another location and spoke a language you may not know. You’ll also find that within one country you might have records written in a variety of languages. For example, one project we’ve worked on in Lithuania has involved records written in Polish, Russian, Lithuanian and Latin, all depending on who created the record and where the political boundaries were drawn at the time. Professional genealogy companies have team members who speak and read many different languages, so we can trace your ancestry beyond their immigration and into their country of origin. We also have onsite agents that we work with worldwide who can visit archives and libraries in other locations when needed, rather than you having to plan an expensive trip overseas to find that one record about your great-great-grandmother.

Lineage Societies. Many people are interested in joining lineage societies such as the Sons or Daughters of the American Revolution (SAR/DAR), Mayflower Society, etc. Each of these societies has different requirements for membership, but they all have fairly strict policies on documentation. A professional genealogist can help you collect the documentation you need to submit a successful application to whichever lineage society you might be interested in.

Team Approach. Sometimes when you’ve been working on your genealogy for a long time, all you need is a fresh set of eyes. Maybe there’s a clue in that death record you found 20 years ago, but you’ve looked at it so many times you just don’t see it. When you hire a professional genealogy company like Legacy Tree, not only will we review what you’ve done and assess what other options are out there, but we peer-review each other’s work, so your family tree is seen by at least 2-3 different professionals.

DNA Analysis. With DNA playing a bigger role in genealogy in recent years, many people approach us with questions about DNA testing. Some have taken the test but aren’t sure what the results mean. Others have heard that DNA testing might help them break down a brick wall, but they’re not sure which test would be best for their particular problem. Our team includes DNA specialists who can give advice on which test(s) would be most beneficial to you, and can analyze the results of your test(s) to determine what the next steps in your research should be.

Validation. Finally, you might want to hire a professional genealogist just to see if the research you’ve done on your own is right. Maybe you’ve inherited the work done by other family members, or maybe you’ve found quite a bit of information online that appears to be correct…but you’re just not sure. A professional genealogist can review your information, determine the quality of your sources, and help you fill in holes where things might be lacking. If we find an error in your tree, we can help you correct it before you spend the next 5 years researching the wrong line!

Your reason for hiring a professional genealogist might be one (or more) of the above, or it might be an entirely different reason not listed here. Whatever the reason, learning more about your family history can be a very rewarding experience.

When you are choosing a professional to work with, it’s important that you feel confident and comfortable with their knowledge and skills, and make sure they’re the right fit for you. You’ll want to find out things like how long they’ve been in business, what kinds of certifications or accreditations they have, and what kind of reviews they have received from other clients.

Along those lines, here are a few facts about Legacy Tree Genealogists:

  • Legacy Tree Genealogists was founded in 2004 and is the highest rated genealogy research company in the world.
  • We’re based in Salt Lake City, Utah and have ready access to the Family History Library and its vast collections of microfilm, fiche, and books.
  • With contacts all over the globe, Legacy Tree regularly accesses records worldwide through onsite agents.
  • Each member of our core team has a degree in Family History/Genealogy or Genetics, 10+ years of genealogy experience, and/or is professionally accredited in genealogy. We also hold our team to a high standard of research, writing and analysis skills.

    We Do the Research.
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    Legacy Tree Genealogists

    Legacy Tree Genealogists

    The team at Legacy Tree Genealogists has been helping clients worldwide discover their roots for over a decade. We're based near the world's largest Family History Library and connected with genealogists and archives around the world, and we love doing what we do! We also love sharing our genealogy tips with our readers.
    Legacy Tree Genealogists

    Latest posts by Legacy Tree Genealogists (see all)

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    Filed Under: Legacy Tree Genealogists, Writing a Family History

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    Comments

    1. Willene Gillies says

      January 30, 2015 at 3:40 pm

      You neglected to tell us if Terra was able to go back farther than her great, great, great grandfather. Please don’t leave us hanging.

      Reply
      • Terra says

        January 31, 2015 at 6:30 pm

        Hi Willene – First, thanks for taking the time to read my bio! After searching a LOT of sources and spending probably hundreds of hours, I found a marriage date and location, and birth date and place for my g-g-g-grandfather, and also the countries of birth for his parents (they were immigrants from England and Wales in the 1820s, it seems), but I still haven’t been able to identify their names. I’m currently in the process of doing some DNA testing to help solve this one, so cross your fingers and we’ll see how it goes. Now I see why the professionals my grandma used 20-30 years ago had such a hard time, but with the advances in technology and increased availability of sources now, I’m very hopeful that I can find them!

        Reply
    2. James Bouse says

      January 31, 2015 at 10:54 am

      How much does it cost to have one name traced? Who do check with?

      Reply
      • Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists President says

        January 31, 2015 at 5:01 pm

        Hi James – Nearly all genealogists (our firm included) will charge based on their time, so tracing one name would mean that all of their time would be dedicated to that one goal. Our rates are located here: https://www.legacytree.com/ready-discover-story/

        Reply
    3. Madge says

      January 31, 2015 at 10:56 am

      I hit a brick wall years ago, I cannot find anything on my great grandfather in Ireland or any relatives, I hired a researcher who came up with nothing, but I don’t think he did much of a search.
      I am wondering which DNA test would help?

      Reply
      • Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists President says

        January 31, 2015 at 5:06 pm

        Yes, a DNA test could definitely help. Your success will depend on whether cousins (currently unknown to you) have also tested and if you can combine information to discover your shared ancestor. As more and more people test the success rate will continue to grow. Ancestry just launched DNA testing in Ireland, so that’s great news for people in your situation, as you likely have cousins still in that country. http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2015/01/30/get-ready-to-meet-your-european-cousins-with-ancestrydna/

        Legacy Tree’s genetic genealogists can be very helpful in analyzing DNA test results and combining that analysis with genealogy research so that “brick walls” can finally be resolved.

        Reply
    4. Pamela Nichols says

      February 1, 2015 at 7:05 pm

      Im working three trees and need some help. How do I contact a professional and how much does it cost?

      Reply
      • Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists President says

        February 1, 2015 at 7:46 pm

        Hi Pamela! We can be contacted at [email protected]. Information about our rates is at: https://www.legacytree.com/ready-discover-story/. Best!

        Reply
    5. Allison McCord says

      February 26, 2015 at 1:25 pm

      Thank you for pointing out how professional genealogists are trained to work in various aspects of the industry, providing clients with polished and thorough research, well worth the financial investment.

      Reply
    6. Adella Bottando says

      March 8, 2015 at 5:26 pm

      Am interested in becoming a professional genealogist

      Reply
    7. gwen lundry says

      April 28, 2015 at 6:35 pm

      I like to know do you have anyone that can do I.T. for me during 1900?
      thank you ! gwen

      Reply
      • Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists President says

        April 28, 2015 at 8:39 pm

        Hi Gwen, please email us more details at [email protected] and we’ll see what we can do. Best!

        Reply
    8. Sheron Stephenson says

      February 2, 2016 at 8:03 pm

      1. Do you have much information on South African geneology.

      2. Do you have any information on men of Scottish origin fighting in the Boer War in /
      South Africa?

      Reply
      • Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists President says

        February 2, 2016 at 11:16 pm

        Hi Sheron, We work both for clients who reside in South Africa and for clients who live elsewhere but have South African ancestry. We work with excellent onsite researchers there who can access any records our main Salt Lake City team can’t access. We would be happy to explore details regarding what we can do for your Scottish ancestors who spent time in South Africa. Contact us directly at [email protected]. Best wishes!

        Reply
    9. Sheron Stephenson says

      February 2, 2016 at 8:10 pm

      If I hire professional help, what happens with all the work I have already achieved.
      It seems such a waste of effort and time.

      Reply
      • Jessica - Legacy Tree Genealogists President says

        February 2, 2016 at 11:13 pm

        Hi Sheron! Many people hire us after spending years working on a brick wall. Though it does take time to go over their previous work and make sure we thoroughly understand it, it then serves as a great jumping off point for us, and is definitely not wasted. Great question!

        Reply
    10. James MCcament says

      November 8, 2017 at 12:50 pm

      Am interested in becoming a professional genealogist

      Reply
    11. Charles Prikasky says

      August 5, 2019 at 1:37 pm

      My mothers , mothers , sister lived in the New York area in the early 1900’s
      Are you able to research this area of the country ? Would love to know if she had a family here and additional information about her original location which I believe to be the Czech Republic.

      Reply
      • Amber - Legacy Tree Genealogists says

        August 5, 2019 at 2:27 pm

        Hi Charles, we can absolutely help in researching the origins of your family history. I will have a member of our Client Solutions team reach out to you to provide a free quote.

        Reply
    12. Margaret Kay says

      October 14, 2019 at 9:49 am

      I have DNA evidence of my birth Father and spoken to two relatives in the US. They are not able to help find the links to him in England? His name was James Rooney and I was born in 1939 so he was around in Liverpool earlier that year? My birth mother was Emily Palmer but I can find no B/M/D information on her either. I have been trying to unlock the mystery for years without success. Can you give me an idea of what it would cost to employ a genealogist? My birth name was Margaret Joan Palmer. 27/11/1939.

      Reply
      • Amber - Legacy Tree Genealogists says

        October 14, 2019 at 10:29 am

        Hi, Margaret. We can certainly help you! I will have a member of our Client Solutions Team reach out to you to discuss the details of your research and provide an accurate quote.

        Reply
    13. Lisa Beauregard says

      October 31, 2020 at 8:15 pm

      Do you ever do any work with ancestry for adoptees from China that have done DNA?

      Reply
      • Legacy Tree Genealogists says

        November 2, 2020 at 9:42 am

        Hi Lisa. Yes, we have helped adoptees from China, and would be happy to help you! To speak to a member of our Client Solutions team, please complete this form. Someone from our team will reach out to discuss your research goals and how we can help. We look forward to working with you!

        Reply

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