Hire a Professional Genealogist: Save $100 on a research project

At MyHeritage, we genuinely care about genealogy research and providing our users with the tools they need to make significant family discoveries. Legacy Tree Genealogists is our trusted research partner. Many of our users have successfully found their ancestors and solved persistent mysteries with the help of Legacy’s expert researchers.

Legacy Tree Genealogist is offering a special through December 7: Save $100 on a 20-hour research project with discount code MH100 at checkout. If you’ve hit a brick wall or would like additional help with your research, take advantage of this limited-time offer.

Why hire a professional genealogist?

With so many technological advances and record availability these days, one question we are often asked is, “Why should I hire a professional genealogist?”

There is no comprehensive response that includes all the many reasons why individuals seek the help of a genealogy research firm, but we’ve outlined the most common reasons below:

Time:

Learning more about your family tree can be extremely time-intensive. It’s not always as easy as just clicking on the MyHeritage Record Matches. While those are very helpful, it’s essential to have a primary source document that proves each piece of information (birth, marriage and death dates and places, parents, children, etc.) in your tree. These records are not always easy to find.

A professional genealogist knows the most efficient and cost-effective ways of compiling all the sources you need for an accurate family tree. Plus, if you have a special event coming up, like a loved one’s birthday or anniversary, a family reunion, or an overseas trip to the home of your ancestors, you might not have time to do all that research in addition to your already busy normal life!

Brick Walls:

Most people who have spent time working on their genealogy have at least one line that seems to be at a complete dead end – a “brick wall” – and that they will require help with to break down. Professional genealogists have experience solving difficult genealogical problems and also have the knowledge and skills necessary to get past those obstacles. Many brick walls require in-depth research in land, tax and/or probate records, and most of those records are not yet available online.

The Family History Library (Salt Lake City, Utah) houses the most extensive collection of genealogical records in the world, so a genealogist who has ready access to the FHL, and to a network of worldwide researchers for record access, will be able to search many additional records to which you do not have access.

The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah

Language Barriers/Foreign Research:

For those who live in the United States or Australia, and for many who live in other parts of the world, it’s a fact that your ancestors came from another location at some point and spoke a language you may not know. You’ll also find that within one country you might find records written in a variety of languages.

For example, one project we’ve worked on in Lithuania has involved records written in Polish, Russian, Lithuanian and Latin, depending on who created the record and where the political boundaries were at the time. Professional genealogy companies have team members who speak and read many languages so we can trace your ancestors prior to immigration and back to their country of origin.

We also have worldwide onsite agents who can visit archives and libraries when needed, rather than you having to plan an expensive overseas trip to locate that one record for your great-great-grandmother.

Lineage Societies:

Many people are interested in joining lineage societies such as the Sons or Daughters of the American Revolution (SAR/DAR), Mayflower Society, etc. Each society has different requirements for membership, but they all have rather strict documentation policies. A professional genealogist can help collect the documentation you need to submit a successful application to whichever society in which you have an interest.

Team Approach:

Sometimes when you’ve been working on your genealogy for a long time, all you need is a fresh set of eyes. Maybe there’s a clue in that death record you found 20 years ago, but you’ve looked at it so many times you just don’t see it. When you hire a professional genealogy company like Legacy Tree, not only will we review what you’ve done and assess what other options are out there, but we peer-review each other’s work, so your family tree is seen by at least two or three different professionals.

DNA Analysis:

With DNA playing a more significant role in genealogy in recent years, many people approach us with questions about DNA testing. Some have taken a test but aren’t sure what the results mean. Others have heard that DNA testing might help them break down a brick wall, but they’re not sure which test would be best for their particular problem.

Our team includes DNA specialists who can analyze the results of your test(s) to determine what the next research steps should be. In many cases, DNA testing has helped clients break through genealogy brick walls including difficult-to-trace ancestors, discovering an ancestor’s ethnicity and solving family mysteries otherwise impossible to investigate due to lack of records.

Validation:

Finally, you might want to hire a professional genealogist to see if the research you’ve done on your own is correct. Perhaps you’ve inherited work done by other family members, or maybe you’ve found quite a bit of information online that appears to be right, but you’re just not sure. A professional genealogist can review your information, determine the quality of your sources, and help you fill in holes where things might be lacking. If we find an error in your tree, we can help you correct it before you spend the next five years researching the wrong line!

Your reason for hiring a professional genealogist might be one (or more) of the above, or it might be an entirely different reason not listed here. Whatever the reason, learning more about your family history can be an enriching experience.

When you are choosing a professional to work with, it’s crucial that you feel confident and comfortable with their knowledge and skills, and that you make sure they’re the right fit for you. You’ll want to learn how long they’ve been in business, what kinds of certifications or accreditations they have, and what kind of reviews they’ve received from other clients.

Along those lines, here are a few facts about Legacy Tree Genealogists and why we selected them as our recommended research partner:

— Legacy Tree Genealogists was founded in 2004 and is the highest-rated genealogy research company in the world.

— They’re based in Salt Lake City, Utah and have ready access to the Family History Library and its vast collections of microfilm, fiche, and books.

— With contacts around the globe, Legacy Tree regularly accesses records worldwide through onsite agents.

— Each member of their core team has a degree in Family History/Genealogy or Genetics, 10+ years of genealogy experience, and/or is professionally accredited in genealogy. They also hold their team to a high standard of research, writing and analysis skills.

If you’ve considered hiring a professional genealogist to assist you with your family research endeavors, now is the time. Our partners at Legacy Tree Genealogists are offering $100 off a 20-Hour Research Project, exclusively for MyHeritage members. Use code MH100 at checkout. This offer expires Thursday, December 7.