Identify your research objectives. We understand that this can be intimidating – after all, there’s a lot you want to know about your family tree! How do you narrow it down to a starting point? It may be helpful to develop a basic family tree with the people you know about like the one pictured here. Often times, it helps to see your information presented this way because it makes it more clear where your gaps in family knowledge are. Make sure you talk to others in your family as well so you have as much information as possible before hiring a professional. You don’t want to hire someone to tell you what others in your family already know!

Select a company. If you haven’t already, read our guide to “Selecting a Company” to learn about key selection considerations.