Fee Options
GEN-FIND Research has several fee options
available depending upon the service that you are interested in obtaining. Refer
to the following hypertext links for details on those options:
- Professional Research Fees
Services involving ancestral/descendancy genealogical research, vital &
other genealogical record searches, lineage verification, and research report
documentation
- Charting & Publishing Fees
Services involving the word-processing, charting and graphic applications
on personal family histories and personal or estate-based genealogies for
standalone or compiled publications.
- Lecture Fees
Inquiries regarding lecture costs and contractual, as well as deposit, requirements.
Regarding, the payment of service fees and retainers, see Payment
of Fees & Retainers.
I. Professional Research Fees
Our professional research fees normally encompass four possible billing arrangements:
time & expense (hourly), flat fee,
contingency, and percentage
complete. In some cases, a combination of these fee types is possible depending
upon the case and the interests of the client. Our firm uses the TimeMatters case management and Sage Timeslips
billing software which are very flexible whereby each client can be sub-categorized
by project and each project can be further broken down into phases. This system
not only allows us to establish a different billing arrangement with every client
but with every project as well.
- Time & Expense: Charge-outs for this type are hourly
fees plus expenditures incurred in the performance of the case. Disbursements
will be varied, however, normally cover such things as registrar/archival
fees, microfilm/microfiche rental, photocopies/printouts, telephone/fax charges,
letter writing charges, out-of-area-travel time required, sub-contractor fees,
vital records searches, etc. Out-of area travel time is normally charged in
full at cost. All other out-of-pocket disbursements are charged at cost plus
a markup of 35%. Though it is only a very broad estimate, clients should anticipate
about 10-30% of the overall billing being for disbursements. These billings
may be either hourly or daily. Written budget limits set by the client would be observed
as stated at the onset of the assignment and draw-downs may be required if
the assignment and resulting fees are anticipated to be large. Please contact
our office for details on current charge rates for this category. For established clients, a lower Premier Rate may be available, which is based on the client's previous six months' volume of work with us.
To initiate this fee arrangement, we require a written request outlining the assignment and the number of hours authorized to search. If our search is not complete at the conclusion of the authorized number of hours we will provide you with either a verbal or written report.
- Flat Fees: Billing according to this category is much more
dependent on the type of case. It is generally more possible to set a fixed
fee on assignments which have clear written problem definitions and defined research
parameters as in the case of particular record searches. The all encompassing
fee would include any disbursements incurred in the conduct of the case, a
base amount which would be calculated into the flat fee quoted. Please contact
our office with details on your case for a quote on this type of fee if this
is something you, as a client, may be interested in. Each case would need
to be assessed separately.
To initiate this fee arrangement, we require a written request outlining the assignment, including last known addresses/location and any other pertinent information.
- Contingency Fees: Contingency fees are contingent on the
outcome of the assignment and are only relevant to estate work. If the assignment concludes positively, as with
the case of locating the relevant heirs/beneficiaries, then the fees and disbursements
are payable by the estate (by agreement with the heirs) or by the heirs directly, depending upon prior written arrangements with the client. Should
the assignment not conclude to completion of distribution of the estate because we were unable to complete the agreed outcome of the assignment, then
no fee nor disbursements would be payable to us and we would assume the responsibility
of all fees and expenses. Depending upon their amount of benefit, upon locating
the relevant heirs and beneficiaries they would be asked to formally agree
to a percentage-based fee. Again, disbursements would be varied though normally
cover such things as registrar/archival fees, microfilm/microfiche rental,
photocopies/printouts, telephone/fax charges, letter writing charges, out-of-area-travel
time required, sub-contractor fees, vital records searches, etc. Please contact
our office with details on your case and particulars on the contingency fee
arrangement if this is something you, as client, may be interested in. Only
heir-client cases would be considered for this fee option.
To initiate these fee arrangements, you must provide us with all available family information and the approximate value of the estate assets. If the estate is testate, we will require a copy of the Will and all available information regarding the amount of the bequest to the missing beneficiary.
- Percentage-of-Completion Fees: Billing arrangements in
this category reflect those cases where it is anticipated that the work may
be significant and both client and GEN-FIND agree that control needs to
be maintained on the work and the resulting cost outlays. Should you or we
feel that billings need to be more frequent than at the end of the assignment,
this option may be more appropriate for you. Again, disbursements would be
varied though normally cover such things as registrar/archival fees, microfilm/microfiche
rental, photocopies/printouts, telephone/fax charges, letter writing charges,
out-of-area travel time required, sub-contractor fees, vital records searches,
etc. Please contact our office for details on charge rates for this category.
We recommend that the client seek court approval for payment of our fee in the case of Time Expense and Flat Fee arrangements, concerning estate cases. Unless otherwise provided for in writing by GEN-FIND Research Associates, Inc., the client is responsible for payment of our fees and any late charges incurred.
GEN-FIND always encourages cooperation among firms of our industry and has forged good working relationships with many of our fellow search firms. We are pleased to cooperate with other firms on the typical split-fee basis and time/expense charge-out arrangement and welcome inquiries in this regard.
Retainer Requirements:
In the case of Family History Research, clients will be required to submit
an advance retainer in the amount of $500 (Cdn) on Time & Expense, Flat
Fee, and Percentage-of-Completion options.
Regarding, non-contingency estate fee arrangements, the advance retainer required
will amount to $750 (Cdn), in most cases, unless from an already established
client of ours.
On Contingency Fee options, no advance retainer is required.
We recommend that the client seek court approval for payment of our fee in the case of Time expense and Flat Fee arrangements, concerning estate cases. Unless otherwise provided for in writing by Gen-Find Research Associates, Inc., the client is responsible for payment of our fees and any late charges incurred.
Gen-Find always encourages cooperation among firms of our industry and has forged good working relationships with many of our fellow search firms. We are pleased to cooperate with other firms on a typical split-fee basis and welcome inquiries in this regard.
II. Charting & Publishing Fees
All charting and word-processing services require advance payment in the amount
of the total billed items, or in the amount of the advance retainer for such
work, namely $500 (Cdn), whichever is less. Any balance due on the latter
arrangement will be due upon receipt of billing and before shipment of products.
In the case of major publications, "draw-downs" on interim advances
will be required due to the substantial costs in completing these projects.
As a matter of course we automatically computerize all genealogical and family
history information & data found for clients, or provided by clients for
input into their database for:
- Better access to and organization of information
- Printing pedigree charts, family group records, and a variety of custom
designed reports, sorted lists, manuscripts, etc.
- Automated exchange of genealogical data via telephone, fax, e-mail, and the
Internet
- Submission of names for Latter-day Saints Temple work (these names may be
reserved in family files at the temple of your choice)
- Contribution of genealogical data to the Ancestral File™ (for coordinating
research and linking lineages)
- Use with your personal computer and genealogical programs (for managing
your family history data and printing/publishing your family history)
For detail prices on the various charts, lists and other product options available
from GEN-FIND Research Associates, please contact our office directly
for a copy of our written Price Schedule and Charting/Word-Processing brochure.
III. Lecture Fees
Regarding the presentation of a genealogical lecture or a series of such lectures,
please contact our office directly for a copy of our contract specifying our
obligations to you and those expected from the interested party. As well, at
that time we can better provide you with a more detailed account of the fees
to be incurred and the advance deposit requirements. Normally, as an organization
or society requesting such lectures, you should anticipate the incurring of:
all expenses as a result of creating the lecture (if new); all land & air
transportation (including those in the host city & those in the home city
to arrive at the host city), meal, & accommodation costs of your lecturer
from departure till arrival at his home base; any expenses associated to the
presentation of the lecture (e.g., handouts, overhead transparencies & slides),
including taxes; other relevant out-of-pocket expenses as incurred; and the
lecturer's honorarium. Refer to lectures
for a description of those prepared presentations currently available.
Lecture arrangements are provided only after a mutually signed contract has been created. Contact us for a copy of our standard contract template.
IV. Payment of Fees & Retainers
Fees and retainers may be paid in any of the following manners, with service fees fully payable by the client. Billings are
normally due immediately payable on completion of the assignment and based upon
the fee option previously agreed upon:
- By personal cheque in Canadian, British or US currency
- By credit card in US currency
- By money-order or bank draft in Canadian currency
- By international wire transfer (please contact our office directly for these
banking details)
- By PayPal
On occasion, with large cases, "draw-downs" may be required and these
will be arranged with the client at the time the contract is initiated.
Please do not send cash in the mail. Any required retainers will need to
be in-hand with this office before a case file can be initiated. You will receive
a subsequent acknowledgement that the retainer has been received by our office.
