Services
My specialty is carrying out in-depth genealogical studies on Swedish and Swedish-American families and writing comprehensive, thoroughly documented family histories that emphasize the historical context. A numbered genealogy and various relationship diagrams are normally included, but most of the text is devoted to a non-fictional narrative.
I also accept unsolved genealogical issues within Swedish and Swedish-American families, such as uncertain identity, unclear relationships, unknown paternity, dead-ends in church books, and disappearances. Although I cannot promise success, I can say that, to date, I have been able to resolve the mysteries that clients have presented me.
In addition, I am available for lectures and workshops in English about various aspects of Swedish genealogy.
Time Frame
The number of hours I need to carry out your commission does not indicate how many days may be required. The work can be delayed, for example, if I have to submit a request to the National Archives for the scan of a church book page that can only be accessed by National Archive staff. Furthermore, I do not work full-time on commissioned projects; I am also involved in various professional development activities and the preparation of manuscripts for publication.
I therefore urge you to plan ahead. If you want your Swedish-American family history written as preparation for a trip to Sweden or as a Christmas, birthday, or anniversary gift, be sure to contact me well in advance.
Payment Options
Payment options include international bank transfer and payment by credit card via PayPal. Regardless of the method they choose, clients are responsible for the payment of transfer charges. If you commission a study, you will receive details about payment options with your contract.
The initial payment is usually 50% of the estimated cost. You will be invoiced the remaining fee plus any expenses in two steps, the first when the work is about half done and I have sent you an interim report and the second upon completion of the commission.
Fees
If you contact me regarding a possible commission, I will provide a free initial consultation involving up to two hours of discussion and analysis. Once you have signed a contract, I will bill you a fee for all online searches, research in archives, writing, and other work related to the commission.
I only accept commissions for at least 25 hours of work.
My current fee for research commisssioned by clients outside of Sweden is $100 USD per hour. The hourly fee for Swedish clients is 1000 SEK plus 25% MOMS. Comprehensive histories about extensive and complex families may require over 100 hours of work. For large commissions of this sort, I give a 10% rebate.
Exclusions
I do not arrange family reunions. However, once a family history has been written, I can help a client to find and contact relatives living in Sweden.
I do not produce family charts or family trees suitable for framing. However, if a client commissioning a family history so requests, I can construct a GEDCOM file based on that history. The client can use this file to produce various charts or can send it to a firm specializing in genealogical art.
I am not in the publishing business. The family histories I write are delivered to clients as pdf files. However, the client can forward the pdf to a company that handles printing and binding.
Expenses
As a client, you will be billed for expenses directly related to the commissioned work. Examples include communication costs, archive charges, transportation for day trips, and—for longer trips—train or air tickets plus hotel charges and per diem.
An estimate of expenses and a ceiling amount will be included in the contract. I will consult you before incurring any major expense, such as travel to an archive outside of Uppsala or Stockholm.
Conditions
If you commission a study, the contract you receive for signing will specify various conditions. Among these are the standards to which the work will be carried out, ethical considerations, protection of your privacy and the privacy of other living persons, and usage rights. For example, since I will write your family history as an independent contractor, I will have the right to publish that history in whole or in part. However, I will not do so without your permission. You, on the other hand, will have the right to make a reasonable number of copies for distribution to your family and friends.