I offer the following basic options for family research:

1. “No results, no fee” scheme

Throughout my long carreer as an archivist I met a large number of people who were pursuing their family research. Whenever the idea of hiring an assistant came along, most of them would express some uneasiness, basically related to the fact that they would have to pay per hour of work without any regard to the results of the research. This experience prompted me to develop my “no results, no fee” approach, where fees are only due if I am able “to deliver the goods”, so to say.     

Let me explain how it works: first of all the potential client is requested to express her/his interests in one or more simple queries. The query “Where was my grandfather born?” is a valid one because, if answered, it would have one well-defined answer. On the other hand the query “Where did my ancestors come from?” would not qualify because of the limitlessness of the term “ancestors” and the ambiguity of the phrase “come from” which can mean a place of birth or the last place of residence before immigration or the first known place of residence, etc. 

After I get the queries and the background information I prepare my proposal which quotes the requested fee for each query (to be paid, of course, only if I am able to answer it). The fees depend on my evaluations of chances for locating the requested information and of the number of hours of work needed to achieve it, on the quality of background material supplied by the potential client and on the overall number of related queries.  The fees may vary considerably but it will be difficult for me to accept an assignment which carries a fee of less than $250 per query. 

Usually I would need three to four months for researching a query (or a set of related queries) and once this period elapses without my being able to answer it, the client is no longer under any obligation whatsoever towards me.  If due, the fee is paid AFTER I submit my findings.  By answering the query I mean submitting to my client a copy of the original document or publication which carries the requested information.  

The “No results, no fee scheme” is especially advantageous to clients in cases where the requested information might be located in a number of various repositories (like locating a Holocaust survivor) or is otherwise difficult to come by. It is an ideal solution whenever prior attempts to locate the requested information have failed. 

2. Per hour fee

Although I would not usually recommend this option, it may be the best solution for clients who would like to have a specific resource researched (like looking for names in  the Yad Vashem database of Holocaust victims and so on). My usual per hour fee is $60 with minimal payment of $150. 

3. Profile research     

“Profile research” means locating all the available information on a person.  It is most suitable whenever much scattered information exists (like in cases of well-known persons) or when it is essential to recover as much information about a person as possible (for example: for a biography or an extensive publication).