When It Helps to Hire a Professional Genealogist
Most people can build the first part of a family tree on their own. Early records are usually easy to find, and online hints feel helpful. The challenges appear later. Names change. Relatives disappear. DNA results do not line up with family stories. Documents begin to contradict one another.
That is when genealogy shifts from searching to analysis. Progress requires experience, careful methods, and the ability to evaluate sources critically.
Hiring a professional genealogist does not replace the satisfaction of doing your own research. It provides focused help on the parts that have become too complex, time-consuming, or confusing to resolve alone.
The Hidden Pitfalls of Online Trees
Online trees can quietly derail a project. Copying hints or public trees without verifying sources often introduces duplicate people, incorrect relationships, and unsupported assumptions. I regularly see trees with hundreds of duplicates. I also see cases where one incorrect parent in the early 1800s creates a chain of errors that affects every generation after it.
These issues do more than clutter a tree. They make DNA results harder to interpret and reduce the quality of new hints. Once errors spread, it becomes difficult to tell which records belong to which person.
A professional genealogist helps prevent this by verifying every fact, checking documents against the Genealogy Proof Standard, and building a solid foundation that future research can rely on.
Services That Help You Move Forward
I offer focused services designed to solve specific problems, clarify DNA results, and turn research into something accurate and usable.
Your Family Tree, Built Right
A well-built tree protects your research from common errors and supports future discoveries. In many cases, a single mistake in an early generation can block progress for years. A focused review can correct those issues, remove duplicates, confirm identities, and outline clear next steps. Even a short engagement can significantly improve the reliability of your tree.
DNA Match Analysis and Family Identification
DNA can answer questions about unknown parents, missing relatives, and confusing branches of a family tree. Correct interpretation requires training and experience. I analyze close matches using traditional research methods, confirm relationships, and identify the most promising paths forward.
Your Family Story, Written as a Book
For those who want to preserve a deeper family story, I help turn research into a clear, well-organized book. When I wrote my own family history, which became The Solomon Gang: Outlaws by Any Name, I worked with hundreds of newspaper articles, court files, land records, prison documents, and overlapping identities and timelines.
Managing that volume of material requires structure. I use careful research methods and modern tools to organize sources, cross-reference evidence, and shape documents into a readable narrative that reflects the real history behind your ancestors.
Why These Services Matter
Genealogy becomes challenging once the easy records run out. A professional helps you avoid common pitfalls, saves time, and brings clarity and accuracy to your work. Whether you need help solving a specific problem or managing a larger project, these services are designed to keep your family history moving forward.
