With the popularity of sites like Ancestry, many people pursue family history information on their own.  Though progress can be made this way, professional genealogists know how to quickly access records that may be hidden from basic searches.  Some records are unavailable, due to various circumstances such as a fire at a courthouse or limited dates that vital records were collected by a given county. A professional genealogist is able to ascertain the availability of records fairly quickly. Moreover, professional genealogists spend a large part of their training analyzing different types of records and learning how to handle conflicting evidence.  Genealogists prepare findings into formats that are clear and accurate and are able to point the family towards further research areas.  Moreover, many people receive DNA results, but have difficulty interpreting them and need guidance to understand which way the results are pointing in terms of identifying relatives.  By hiring a professional, you will save time in your research and get reliable results. As a professional genealogist, my work meets the standards of practice laid out in Genealogy Standards.  My research is evaluated with the criteria set forth in the Genealogical Proof Standard.