Frequently Asked Questions

We can still work with you even if you don’t have all the information we initially request. Even estimated information is satisfactory. If you think your grandfather was born “around 1935 somewhere in Kansas,” we can begin with that and see what we find in the record. Most of the time, we can locate the individuals that way. If we still have trouble identifying your family, we will contact you again and see what else you might know about them to help find them in the record.

Many adoption records indicate the names of one or both parents. If you can obtain these records, we will work with you to trace your family origins like any other client.

The finished product is your branch of the human family tree–your Sapling. This report includes a detailed history of your ancestors and pedigree charts that outline your family history going back as far as your plan specifies. We also include a narrative summary that helps you understand all of the information that is included in the report.

Yes, other research services are available at a rate of $125/hour. Examples include: descendant reports, research travel itineraries, connections to historical societies, accompanied travel to archives, and suggestions for further research.

For all families, records eventually fade out at some point, though it varies greatly how far back a family record may be traced. Many factors determine how many records are available and when the trail will eventually disappear. But rest assured that we will exhaust every available resource in our search for your family roots.

The processing time depends on your package and the starting information you provide, but we aim to complete silver packages in 7-10 days, gold packages in 15-20 days, and platinum packages in 30 days. We often finish sooner.

If adequate records do not exist for your family–which is rare–we will offer you a full refund.

There are ample resources to trace African American families back to the Civil War and sometimes earlier. Our researchers are trained to tap all of the available resources for African American clients.