Hiring Professionals

[Drosybont]

As others have said, hiring a professional may not be the best idea for several reasons, and doing a course can be very helpful.  When I got started on this about 7 years ago I did a very basic course on family history - really intended to introduce older people to computers (!) - it was well taught and gave me a good idea how to find information and how to use it, made me much more confident to research.  And almost straight away I found this website and spent quite a lot of time looking at other people's questions and answers, still do, find that very informative.  The main thing for me is that I enjoy doing this so much that I wouldn't want to ask someone else to do it for me.  I'm sure there's a place for professionals, but it's better for me for any mistakes to be my own!

Drosybont

[hullnow]

There are so many genealogy sites today that I feel you would be able to do most of your research by yourself.As a lot of sites have offers or trail periods you maybe surprised what you discover on your own.Even professionals need basic info to get started and you will already have that.We all hit brickwalls but you will have the support of forums like Rootschat we are always willing to help.One word of caution,if you do try one of the free trial or offers on some sites make sure you uncheck any automatic renewal boxes.Have fun with your research.

[GrahamSimons]

I would support all that's been said - well, very nearly. You can do a huge amount by yourself and this site is a great help. I'd recommend buying or borrowing a few books - Peter Christian's The Genealogist's Internet and Mark Heber's Ancestral Trails have been really helpful to me.
But there are bits of research where the professional can help. I have hired someone to do targeted research in the National Library of Wales - he took far less time than I would and cost far less than travel would have done. Similarly I've spent some time in the East India collections in the British Library but have found it more cost-effective to hire a professional who knows where to look. And I've also had transatlantic help in Toronto which would have been nearly impossible on a DIY basis. But all this followed a lot of DIY research online and in archives and the Society of Genealogists' library.

[kimmie75]

Hi
i agree with everyone else, i started doing my family tree numerous years ago now and have done my friends trees too. It as became a huge hobby of mine so if you need any help with anything just let me know.
Hope you are successful in your research and good luck
kimmie

[ThrelfallYorky]

You'll get no better help for any money than here!
There are people on here with all sorts of expertise, from Railway staff to obscure religions, from law to lunacy, and they are all so helpful!
Every time I've put a query on, I've had excellent advice and help, with the right mix of helping you to find-it-yourself and confidence-boosting "goodies". Even one's silliest question is treated sincerely, and politely.
When you've made a start, the more you browse around on here, the better an idea you'll get of how to advance your own studies, and that's a far better feeling than merely reading what someone else has found - for money- for you. If you check, and build from secure factual knowledge at each step, you'll be doing it the right way.
Just think: the amount of time you spend on this search is time spent learning. Most of us can't find a great deal that paid "professionals" can do that the "Big Team" of rootschatter researchers can't have a good bash at. And you'll never finish it ......

....and in time you'll find yourself back on a forum here, helping someone else!

[groom]

I agree TY, the beauty of Rootschat is that we work as a team, not as individuals. So a post on here gets seen by many people, who have lots of different resources and records they can check, some quite obscure and not online. Also it means that several people are checking answers and so you are more likely to be given the correct facts rather than just relying on the opinion of one person.

[jaybelnz]

Couldn't say better than that Groom!  Except perhaps that we also have a load of fun in here!!

🐵🙈🙉

[Treetotal]

Hi Mitch and welcome to Rootschat....you will find that many members on here are as good as any professional researchers and often more freely available....and do enjoy the thrill of the chase...where else would you get a 24 hour service without having to pay a fee.
Carol

[jaybelnz]

The magic touch in here is the great spirit of friendliness, and the unparalleled and COMMITTED TEAMWORK!  I truly think that's why Rootschat is so effective!