I'm doing research (unfortunately limited to 4 hours) and writing a report for a difficult client. We met in person, and she told me what she wanted, which was to trace her paternal ancestry back to the immigrant ancestor. After our meeting, she sent me an email that stated, in no uncertain terms, that she was not interested in children or siblings, and that she wanted birth and death certificates. Well. I've taken her furthest known ancestor (born 1848 in Missouri) back 2 generations, going by census records. That ancestor's grandfather was born about 1785 in North Carolina, but obviously I'm not going to be able to conjure up birth and death certificates. In fact, I'm depending heavily on indirect evidence, such as emigration patterns from North Carolina to Missouri in the early 1800's, on land purchases, and on the grandfather's daughter-in-law's father (also living in the same county in Missouri in 1850) also being born in North Carolina about 1790. Who's to say they didn't know each other before they had children who would grow up and marry? So I'm writing my report, making it as fascinating as I can, and as educational as I can (this is a teachable moment, here), without actually answering her question. One of the concepts I'm going to present to her is that genealogists not only want to know who, and where, and when, but why. Why did they leave North Carolina? Why did they leave Missouri and cross over into Kansas Territory and then to Iowa? I'm fairly sure she won't be happy that my 4 hours didn't find the answer she wanted, and I don't think she has the resources to have me do more research - which will obviously have to be with documents that are not online, but are on microfilm or in archives. What I'm hoping for is that she will get a real sense of who her ancestors were. Just thinking out loud here.. Claudia

Get the money up front. (smile) This one sounds like a case of client education but perhaps that should have been done before the research. Many people believe in vital records as "the" authority when we know that they can lie. Educating people on the value of following the evidence to tell the story can be difficult if they don't realize this. Did she need this for Lineage Society proof? Sometimes that is what puts clients in the mindset of vital records as all-important, not realizing that probate, deeds, and other documents can give the evidence of direct (or indirect) relationship that they seek. The client interview is the toughest thing to do sometimes if the client is not forthcoming with what they really want. Sometimes they don't know what they really want and we have to help them along with that definition. Only when their expectations realistically meet the time and budget will they be satisfied. If you can recognize any mismatch way up front, it is sometimes better to walk away. Another alternative is to work pro bono and chalk it up to a learning experience. Best wishes, Elissa Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL www.PowellGenealogy.com www.GRIPitt.org CG, Certified Genealogist, CGL, and Certified Genealogical Lecturer are Service Marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certificants after periodic evaluations by the Board and the board name is a trademark registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office. > -----Original Message----- > From: On Behalf Of Claudia Breland > Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 10:28 PM > > I'm doing research (unfortunately limited to 4 hours) and writing a report for a difficult > client. We met in person, and she told me what she wanted, which was to trace her > paternal ancestry back to the immigrant ancestor. > After our meeting, she sent me an email that stated, in no uncertain terms, that she was not > interested in children or siblings, and that she wanted birth and death certificates. <snipped> > I'm fairly sure she won't be happy that my 4 hours didn't find the answer she wanted, and > I don't think she has the resources to have me do more research - which will obviously > have to be with documents that are not online, but are on microfilm or in archives.