I have followed this thread with interest. It is difficult to set firm rules but a few guidelines may help. Remember, sometimes persons are earning their living by doing this researchg, others do it as a part-time job, and others do it as a hobby. First - the hobbyist There are certainly costs that can be significant. I am publishing 40 books of over 100 pages for a family reunion. Fortunately, I can afford to do this. Others can't and, if asked to do it, should collect the costs up front. When exchanging information with family it may help to send what are YOUR guidelines. If you want/need payment ask for it up front. In general, don't send a book of information initially until you have an idea how cooperative the other person is. And communication by telephone (or face to face) often (not always) works better than letters or E-mail. Second - the professional (and semiprofessional) Professionals should have a one page document that explains what they do, what their area(s) of expertise is, and what the costs are. When an agreement is reached, there should be a contract that itemizes the agreement. Where the research can be open-ended, a minimum fee and a maximum fee should be stipulated. Looking for a Joe Miller may require a lot more negative results from lookup than checking out Charles Heisterkamp or Franz Oberste. When the research is completed, the requestor should receive an accounting of hours spent (assuming there was an hourly cost), a listing of the sources researched, and an itemized list of both positive and negative findings. The person asking for research to be done should supply the researcher with as much pertinent information as possible, including previous negative research to prevent duplication (unless that is specifically desired). The requestor should list on a sheet of paper what he/she expects to be researched and what he/she hopes to learn. Depending upon how extensive the proposed project is, and what the agreed upon cost is, it is reasonable to pay some monies during the project and before completion. This should be a part of the contract. And, it is reasonable to ask for a "bid" from 3 researchers. Finally, the use of credit card payments helps both parties. And ask for references of three or four persons who have used the researcher's service. Contact them and ask what was done, the cost, and are they happy. As I said previously, there a lot of variations on this theme because there are so many combinations of researcher and requestor. Putting it down on paper, in advance, will help. Hope these thoughts help. Charles Charles Heisterkamp, III ckamp3@redrose.net