Rates and Services

PERSONAL CHECK -or- Credit or Debit Card via PayPal. USA funds only.

Record Lookup - $35 per person, per record

Pre-paid Retainer In Full $35, plus any additional reimbursable expenses. Reimbursable expenses are due after completion of work and before delivery of results.
Deliverables: Digital copy, full source citation, delivery by email in PDF or JPEG format.
Delivery Date: Varies. From 1 day - 2 weeks or more after receipt of full payment.
Possible Additional Reimbursable Expenses: Billed after completion and before delivery. Court records at cost, parking, repository entry fee, non-local travel time, non-local mileage at IRS rate.
Possible records: Marriage, death, obituary, Muskegon City Directory, online.
GET-IT-NOW Expedited search available: $70 plus reimbursable expenses.

Record lookup is used to find that elusive record that you've been hunting for those many years. It's also a favorite with any researcher who needs a certain document NOW!

Call us at 231-755-4466 to discuss this Record Lookup.

New! On Retainer-"Expert Eyes"- $5 per each 6 Minutes, plus any additional reimbursable expenses

What is "On-Retainer" Service? Custom Service for prior clients who have requests that can be fulfilled fairly quickly. You ask about whatever you need help on, and we give advice, review your work, examine documents, and provide explanations. You receive an answer as quick as possible but you pay only at the end of the month.
Who Qualifies to Use On-Retainer Service? Previous clients in good standing. Not valid for first time clients.
When Would You Use "Expert Eyes"? Some Examples:
- You need advice as to how or where to proceed with your research.
- You can't read the faded handwritten script on a document--let us turn a gobbled place name into a recognizable one.
- You have looked but can't find a certain name in the census--we will use our advanced subscription databases to see if we can find it.
Rate: Pro-rated at our current hourly research rate in 10th's of an hour - every 6 minutes - so you never pay for more time than we spend on your request. We keep a running tab of the time spent and bill you at the end of each month, not in advance.
Deliverables: As dictated by the request and if available, provided digitally if possible.
Delivery Date: As soon as discovered; no date can be guaranteed.
Payment Due Date: Rate plus any Reimbursable Expenses are billed at the end of each month and due at Invoice Date. 5% Late Fee applies to accounts overdue by 10 days after Invoice Date.
Who can best benefit by using On-Retainer service? Do-it-yourself researchers, as well as beginning and intermediate genealogists.
Possible Additional Reimbursable Expenses: Court records at cost, parking, repository entry fee, non-local travel time, non-local mileage at IRS rate.

Your needs will dictate your request. You would not use Expert Eye for a total family compilation, for example, because opting for a fee set in advance would be a better value for such a large project.

Call us at 231-755-4466 to discuss this On-Retainer Service.

Basic Research, Flat Rate - $200, 1 ancestor, 5 hours

Pre-paid Retainer In Full $200; no balance.
Deliverables: Digital copies of available relevant sources, fully cited, brief report.
Delivery Date: 2 months or more after receipt of full payment.
Additional Reimbursable Expenses: None. All document costs added within flat-rate price.

When you want to know about only one ancestor, and you need to know the bottom-line rate, Mini Research is the one to choose.

Call 231-755-4466 to discuss this Mini Research.

Birth Mother / Birth Child Research - Michigan - $530 plus any additional reimbursable expenses

SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY

Pre-Paid Retainer $300
Balance of $230 plus any reimbursable expenses: Due on completion of work and before delivery of results.
Deliverables: Digital copies of relevant sources, fully cited, brief report.
Delivery Date: 6 months or more after receipt of full payment, or sooner.
Possible Additional Reimbursable Expenses: Billed after completion and before delivery. Court records at cost, parking, repository entry fee, non-local travel time, non-local mileage at IRS rate.

Call us at 231-755-4466 to discuss this Michigan Adoption Research Project.

Starter "Value Pack" Paternal or Maternal Line, 25 hours - $1000 plus any additional reimbursable expenses

Pre-Paid Retainer $600
Balance: $400 plus any additional reimbursable expenses: Due after completion of work and before delivery of results.
Deliverables: 3-ring notebook containing "Descendants of ..." book, indexed, with fully documented sources and copies of available relevant documents; Family Group Sheet for ..." for each Direct Line couple, a "Descendants of ..." Report; and a "Descendant Chart" beginning with the earliest found ancestor .
Delivery Date: 4 months or more after receipt of full rate payment.
Possible Additional Reimbursable Expenses: Billed after completion and before delivery. Court and other records at cost, parking, repository entry fee, non-local travel time, non-local mileage at IRS rate.

This is a good way to begin learning about your ancestors, even if you don't know much about them. It is the ideal research package if you are overwhelmed by stories, names and dates written on scraps of paper, and other family materials you have collected, and you want to organize the material plus learn more about your ancestors. Starting with one of your parents, this popular package typically takes your family back several generations in a direct line either on your father's side or your mother's side (e.g., your father to your paternal grandfather, etc.).

It's a wonderful idea for a gift for yourself, your parents, or grandparents.

Call us at 231-755-4466 to discuss this Value Pack Research.

Intermediate Research Project, Paternal or Maternal Line , 200 hours - $3000 plus any reimbursable expenses

Pre-Paid Retainer $2000
Balance of $1000 plus any additional reimbursable expenses: Due after completion of work and before delivery of results.
Deliverables: Digital copies of available relevant documents, scholarly report, fully documented sources.
Delivery Date: 4 months or more after receipt of full rate payment.
Possible Additional Reimbursable Expenses: Billed after completion and before delivery. Court records at cost, parking, repository entry fee, non-local travel time, non-local mileage at IRS rate.

This Intermediate Research Project for either your paternal or maternal line of your family typically provides 80% of one branch of a person's family tree for several generations. It delves deeper into family relationships.

Call us at 231-755-4466 to discuss this Intermediate Research Project.

Advanced Research Project, Paternal and Maternal Line,
400 hours - $7000

Pre-Paid Retainer $4000
Balance of $3000 plus any additional reimbursable expenses: Due on completion of work and before delivery of results.
Deliverables: Digital copies of available relevant documents, scholarly report, fully documented sources.
Delivery Date: 6 months or more after receipt of full rate payment.
Possible Additional Reimbursable Expenses: Billed after completion and before delivery. Court records at cost, parking, repository entry fee, non-local travel time, non-local mileage at IRS rate.

This Advanced Research Project encompasses both your paternal and maternal lines of your family and typically provides 85% of of a person's family tree for several generations. It is the most comprehensive of all family research.

Call us at 231-755-4466 to discuss this Intermediate Research Project.

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