Consultation
What is a Consultation, and Why should you consider one?
Our Research Consultation services provide you access to a professional genealogist at your command! Is your research stuck? Do you need help? When you hit the inevitable brick wall, a consultation with a skilled researcher who specializes in solving problems in your geographic area can be just the thing to address your issues and aid in your search.
We know how much people like doing the research themselves on their family members. Genealogy research is a fun, and challenging, activity. However, there are also times when you just might not know where to go next to find the records you need to achieve a research goal. That is why we offer consultation services!
A consultation with a ProGenealogists expert is an inexpensive way to “jump-start” research that may be stalled for any number of reasons. Enlisting the aid of a knowledgeable, experienced genealogist will likely save you countless hours of inefficient research, as well as the pursuit of false leads.
Why ProGenealogists for Consultations?
The Consultants
ProGenealogists is made up of a team of knowledgeable researchers. Members of our group are some of the most skilled and recognized genealogists available today. You benefit because the researchers at ProGenealogists are experts in specific geographic regions and problems, which is standard for the industry. What is unique is how ProGenealogists 
combines the experience and research ability of the whole ProGenealogists team in our extraordinarily collaborative approach to solve the research problem. The result is an extensive, unparalleled ability to analyze your problem and offer solutions. This combination of skills provides quality research for your family. We have profiled many of our genealogists on this website.
Our Knowledge of Records
ProGenealogists has access to a broad expanse of records. We have access to the largest genealogical repository in the world - the Family History Library - which houses millions of U.S., Canadian, British, European, and Latin American records. These include immigration records, vital records (birth, marriage, and death), census records, parish registers, and more. Our extensive experience in these records provides the broad background our researchers need to provide you excellent suggestions on your research.
We also maintain a wide background in records in a variety of archives and repositories in the U.S. and abroad. In addition, ProGenealogists also maintains a large network of experienced genealogists located at regional libraries worldwide. We can advise you about accessing nearly any U.S. or International record type that can solve your research problem.
What Type of Consultation do you Need?
ProGenealogists offers a wide variety of consultation options to meet your specific research needs. Choose the style that works best for you.
- Consultation via e-mail offers flexibility for those who have a demanding schedule and a set research problem.
- Consultation via the telephone offers the ability to ask questions and establish a dialogue about the research problem.
- Consultations done in person allow you to meet the researcher and have them recommend research strategies. We offer personalized research consultation at the Family History Library, where you work side by side with a professional researcher! You can also catch up with us for a consultation if you are attending a genealogical conference where one of the ProGenealogists team is speaking or attending.
How to Get Started
The first step is for you to send us a summary of your research problem, and the research you have already completed. The information should include:
- A concise statement about the specific research problem.
- Known (or suspected) information about the birth, marriage, and/or death dates and places of the subject and the subject’s children, spouse, parents, and where possible, siblings.
- Copies of key documents pertinent to the subject and the problem.
- A list of sources previously searched, and the results of that search (often called a research calendar).
- Indicate the preferred format of the consultation (e-mail, phone, in-person, or library consultation).
After receiving the information from you, we will then reply with a suggested time frame for the consultation. Consultations will be conducted by experienced genealogists, familiar with the records and tactics needed for the time period and place of your problem. We will also indicate the suggested number of hours to budget for the consultation. The minimum is two hours, but some complex cases require greater study and preparation and may require four or more hours.
After the nature of the consultation is determined, a retainer is paid. The retainer can be sent to us several ways:
- By ordering this service through our shopping cart, or
- By placing an agreed upon retainer payment directly on our "make a payment" page, or
- By check or money order made out to "PROGENEALOGISTS" and mailed to us via postal mail.
The genealogist will contact you to work out specific details regarding the consultation. This includes any arrangements for phone calls, e-mail exchanges, or an in-person appointment.
Our consultations include at least two or three of the most effective and important steps to take or, if you prefer, two or three specific resources to search in order to solve your research objective. Part of our consultation time will include our review of your previous research (if any) and an exploration of available sources and resources. So, not all of your consultation time will be spent on the phone with you.
Consultation is really as simple as that! Let our expertise provide you the additional information you need to have more success in your research. If, during the course of the consultation, you need a record retrieved, or you want us to take over your research problem and solve it for you, our researchers can arrange that as well.
