Services & Fees

Hiring a professional genealogist to complete your tree can cost thousands of dollars, especially if you are starting from scratch and need somebody to visit archives, government offices, libraries, graveyards, etc. I offer an affordable alternative by keeping my focus on helping folks get started on their genealogical journey. My goal is to help you get as far as you can in your research using the many resources that are available online. This way, you can allocate limited funds efficiently and avoid paying money for records you could get for free if you just knew where to find them. I work primarily with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, but am always happy for new opportunities to expand my horizons.

Every project is unique. For a custom quote, please contact me. In the mean time, here are some services I provide:

Packages (prices exclude third-party fees*):

Basic search: $25 per individual researched

• Conversation online or on the phone (max 30 minutes). We review your goals and questions.
• I perform a basic document search across several databases.
• I provide you with up to 3 historical documents (via PDF), if found.

“Four Grandparents” search: $100

• Conversation online or on the phone (max 60 minutes). We review your goals and questions.
• I perform a basic document search across several databases.
• I provide you with up to 3 historical documents per grandparent (via PDF), if found.
• I compile whatever information I find (reaching back to your grandparents and including your first cousins, if available) into an ancestry.com family tree under the username and privacy settings of your choice (pending availability of username).

“Eight Great-Grandparents” search: $250

• Conversation online or on the phone (max 90 min). We review your goals and questions.
• I perform a basic document search across several databases.
• I provide you with up to 3 historical documents per great-grandparent (via PDF), if found.
• I compile whatever information I find (reaching back to your great-grandparents and including your first and second cousins, if available) into an ancestry.com family tree under the username and privacy settings of your choice (pending availability of username).

A la carte (prices exclude third-party fees*):

• Establish ancestry.com family tree from a compiled list of names / familial relationships: $1 per individual. This is for information entry only and does not include further research. Username and privacy settings of your choice, pending availability of username.
• Vital records search (marriage, birth, death):
  • $10 per document, plus third-party fees. Note that my $10 search fee applies whether or not the document is located.
  • If the record is not available online but a hard copy may be requested, I will provide you with information on how to submit the record request. Alternately, for an additional $5 I will complete and submit the record request on your behalf.
• Got a specific mystery you’re trying to solve? Let me take it for a spin! Consulting and problem-solving: $30/hr.

* Note that my packages and a la carte prices do not include third-party fees. Occasionally, certain government agencies, genealogical societies, privately-held public records companies and other entities may charge a per-document fee for the search and/or retrieval of records. In my experience, these fees usually range from $5 to $20 per document, depending on the entity, although there are some exceptions (for example, a 1,200-page FBI dossier will be a little bit more expensive to reproduce!). If a record has an associated third-party fee, I require that this fee be paid in advance. As always, I do my best to obtain documents from free and membership-based databases to avoid incurring additional fees.