My Services & Fees

Building Your Tree 

Every family-history project begins with a question. You may want to identify an elusive ancestor, investigate a family story, verify an existing family tree, or preserve what you have discovered for future generations.

Whatever your goal, I will work with you to establish a clear research plan that respects both your priorities and your budget. Genealogical research is completed in manageable blocks of time, and additional work is never undertaken without your approval.

Genealogical Research and Family Trees

Have you already started building your family tree and need another set of eyes? Would you like help extending or verifying your research? Perhaps you have encountered a particularly stubborn research problem—or you are ready to begin your family tree for the first time.

Services may include:

• Building, extending, or verifying a family tree
• Researching a specific ancestor, family, or question
• Analyzing conflicting or uncertain evidence
• Examining deeds, probate files, census records, vital records, military records, family documents, and other sources
• Conducting research at North Carolina archives, libraries, courthouses, and special collections
• Organizing and documenting existing family research
• Recommending practical next steps when a question cannot yet be answered

Depending upon the scope of the project, you will receive a written summary or research report, source citations, copies of records located, and recommendations for additional research.

Research Fees

• Standard research rate: $60 per hour
• Initial research projects begin with a minimum of four hours: $240
• A 50% retainer is required before work begins.
• Additional research is undertaken only with the client’s authorization.
• Record fees, photocopies, postage, database access fees, and approved travel expenses are charged separately when applicable.

Research time may include preliminary review, development of the research plan, record searches, analysis, correspondence with repositories, organization of findings, source citation, and preparation of the written report.

Genealogical research cannot guarantee a particular discovery or outcome. Negative findings are carefully documented because knowing where an answer was not found can be an important part of the research process.

1:1 Coaching

Two heads really are better than one!

If you enjoy conducting your own research but would benefit from guidance, we can work together to evaluate your evidence, develop a research strategy, or tackle a difficult family-history question.

I also offer individual instruction in Family Tree Maker, Ancestry, FamilySearch, and other commonly used genealogy resources.

Coaching is available virtually or in person.

Individual instruction: $195 for six private 60-minute sessions

Teaching and Speaking

I am a career educator and an experienced genealogy speaker. I have presented programs for genealogy societies, public libraries, retirement communities, and groups of varying sizes.

Programs can be adapted to the interests and experience level of your audience.

Speaking fee: $125 for a 35–45-minute presentation

Please contact me to discuss available topics, scheduling, travel, and the needs of your organization.

Document Retrieval

Many valuable genealogical records are not available online. I can retrieve records from repositories throughout central and eastern North Carolina, including:

• State Archives of North Carolina
• State Library of North Carolina
• Rubenstein Library at Duke University
• Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Joyner Library at East Carolina University
• Allied Families Repository in Cary
• Special collections in North Carolina county libraries
• Many North Carolina county courthouses

Document-retrieval fee: $45 per record, plus the cost of copies and approved mileage beyond 10 miles

Please contact me before ordering so I can confirm the repository, record availability, expected cost, and turnaround time.

Let’s Talk About Your Project

Every family and every research question is different. Contact me with a brief description of what you hope to discover, what research has already been completed, and the records or family materials you have available.

Together, we can determine a realistic starting point for your project.

Every story deserves to be told.