Initial Assessment

Sarah will provide an initial assessment to determine whether there are available records and if she can assist you. If Sarah is unable to help, you will be informed at the earliest opportunity.

If the initial search is successful, Sarah will send you an email outlining the next steps and associated costs. If you decide to proceed, an online invoice will be sent with an email outlining the scope of the work and providing advice on any limitations. 

When solving a genealogical brick wall, Sarah will initially offer the Exploratory Research Service, where she will explore all possible avenues for further research. All findings and recommendations will be included in the report.

Your Information and Instructions

Your contact and family information will be treated as strictly confidential and will not be shared with any third party without your permission. 

Sarah will confirm your instructions in writing, outlining her understanding of the research and your chosen family tree package or research requirements before starting.

If you provide previous research, it is your responsibility to ensure its accuracy to avoid inadvertently repeating work. If research uncovers information already known to you or found in previous research that was not disclosed before the project began, this effort will still be billed.

Unsuccessful Searches

There are occasions when research may not yield information about a particular individual, either because no records are available or because events were not registered. Therefore, Sarah cannot guarantee that specific individuals or family records will be found. However, research may still be considered positive if certain records or directions have been “ruled out.”

All research, including that which does not produce positive results, will be charged. A record of all unsuccessful searches will be provided as part of the completed research to help prevent duplication in future work.

Sensitive Information

In some cases, sensitive information may be uncovered. Sarah will ask whether you wish to exclude potentially sensitive details from the final report. Examples include:

• Family events, such as illegitimacy or bigamy
• Medical events, such as insanity, or causes of death, including suicide or murder
• Legal events, such as imprisonment or bankruptcy

Please note that excluding certain information may result in an incomplete family history. This can be discussed at any time before the work is completed.

Sarah’s Commitment to You

Sarah at Unlock Your Past provides high-quality family history research, ensuring you are happy with the service and feel involved throughout the process. You will be kept regularly informed of the research status.

All enquiries will be responded to promptly. Please note that the office is closed on a Saturday and Sunday.

Sarah will deliver research findings with detailed sources and include records of unsuccessful searches. Where research is not successful, Sarah will explain which avenues were explored.

Paid time includes research, analysis, chart drawing, report writing, and communication with you by telephone or email. Sarah remains the primary contact for all projects and oversees all research conducted under Unlock Your Past.

Professional Standards

As a member of the Association of Scottish Genealogists and Archivists in Archives (ASGRA), Sarah abides by their Code of Conduct, which can be found online.

As a member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists (RQG), Sarah abides by their Professional Code, available online.

Waiting List

Due to high demand, a waiting list of approximately 2 to 3 months is in place for new projects. Please note that the waiting period may vary slightly depending on the scope of work.

This timeframe provides the necessary resources and time to carry out each research project. To secure a research slot, please contact Sarah as soon as possible. Once an agreement on the way forward has been reached, a deposit invoice will be sent.

Payment Terms

Sarah offers a number of family history services including Family Tree packages, Family House history, Verification Service and an Exploratory Research Package.

When travel to archives is required, car travel will be charged at 45 pence per mile. If more cost-effective and convenient, public transport will be used and charged.

If you choose to proceed with the research, Sarah will send an invoice via email for a deposit or the full amount to secure a research slot.

A payment plan can be agreed upon at the beginning of the research, but the final report and any supporting documentation will only be provided once full payment is received.

Receipts will be issued once payments have been made.

Additional costs will not be incurred without prior agreement, and you will be provided with full details before they are charged.

• Family Tree Packages

Transcriptions from birth, marriage, and death registers are included in the fixed-price family tree packages. Also included is time spent on internet research, archival research, historical research, report writing, and chart/tree drafting.

Travel to and entry to ScotlandsPeople are included in family tree packages.

Postage is extra.

• Other Family History Research

Additional costs may include supporting documents from the ScotlandsPeople Centre, such as birth, marriage, and death registers, census returns, valuations, and wills. These currently cost 25 pence per copy and will not be purchased without prior agreement.

Travel is additional. Car travel is charged at 45 pence per mile unless there is a more cost-effective transport, such as a bus.

Most reports are sent as a pdf online.  If you require a hard copy, then postage will be charged.

Cancellation – Your Rights

If you wish to cancel the research agreement, you must inform Unlock Your Past in writing as soon as possible. Unlock Your Past will calculate the amount of work undertaken up to that point and will invoice you at the rate of £40 per hour plus costs. Once payment is received, any research documentation will be forwarded to you. Please note that all documentation remains the property of Unlock Your Past until payment is received.

Cancellation – Unlock Your Past’s Rights

Unlock Your Past reserves the right to decline cases where the likelihood of success is low, e.g. if the only available information is “his name was Donald McDonald, born in Scotland in about 1900.”

If payment is not made under the terms of the agreement or an invoice is not settled, Unlock Your Past reserves the right to cancel your instructions and discontinue work. Outstanding payments will still be due.

If a signed agreement or confirmation is not received within 7 days, Unlock Your Past will assume that you do not wish to proceed, and no further action will be taken.

Copyright

All documents prepared by Sarah, including charts, reports, transcriptions, and translations, remain her copyright and may not be published without prior consent.

Any material obtained from websites and digitised records will remain the copyright of the individual websites and will be acknowledged in the work. Such material should not be further published.

General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)

By agreeing to these terms and conditions, you consent to Unlock Your Past holding the personal details of you and your family, necessary for research purposes. By law, this information must be retained for a minimum of 5 years.