Yes. BUT - hiring a professional like myself will deliver much greater results far more quickly, and, because I know how to analyze the data, the information I gather for you is certain to be accurate. Let me help you tell your family's story.

Genealogy is simply the study of lines of descent from one generation to the next. Family history is much broader, including the study of how people actually lived and how they were connected to the world around them.

How long it takes depends on how readily records are available to answer your research questions. That in turn depends on which time period we are looking at, which country or region and on many other variables like, which religion, if any, your ancestors belonged to or what their status in society was. During our consultation session we will develop a research plan based on what information you already have and what you want to find out. That will allow me to provide a realistic estimate for how much work will be involved. Since the consultation session is free to you, you can't really lose! And whether the project is big or small, I can promise you that I will gather as much information as possible for you in the time we agreed upon.

All research needs a starting point. I will need any information about your ancestors that you already have, such as names of your (great)grandparents, when and where they were born, married, died, where they lived, perhaps what their job or profession was. Religious affiliation, special interests or hobbies can provide additional clues, as can family stories.

You will receive a written history of your family, illustrated with any relevant photographs I can find. All sources will be meticulously documented and I will append copies of any relevant documents as well as research notes to inform future research. Unless you advise me not to, I will also enter the results into Wikitree. I will send all this to you electronically. Then we meet via Zoom to discuss the results.

My favourite place to make family history that I work on public. Not only is it free, it is, as the tagline says, the place "where genealogists collaborate." Tens of thousands of genealogists, both amateur and professional, are working together to grow a single world family tree. Even more importantly, great efforts are being made to continually improve the accuracy of the information through researching and adding primary sources and incorporating the results of DNA tests. As of now, Wikitree has more than a million registered members and almost 40 million profiles, more than 13 million of which have DNA test connections. I myself have made over 3200 contributions to date, many as part of the Gilbert One-Name Study and the Germany Project. I am certified to work on pre-1700 and pre-1500 profiles.