1. Terms of Engagement
1.1. Before beginning any work for a client Born and Bred Historical Research will confirm our understanding of the project to be undertaken and ensure agreement of this understanding with the client before commencing the research.
1.2. It is the responsibility of the client to ensure that the details of any previous research have been conveyed to Born and Bred Historical Research to avoid any research being inadvertently repeated.
1.3. Born and Bred Historical Research will not exceed the time initially commissioned by the client without prior agreement.
1.4. Born and Bred Historical Research undertake to report the findings of the research with detailed sources of the information obtained. Where research is not successful we will provide information as to the avenues that have been explored.
1.5. Paid time includes record identification, ordering, viewing and copying as well as time spent communicating with the client by telephone, email, text and in person.
1.6. If during the research it becomes clear that the said research will not take as long as initially expected or research cannot progress as anticipated any whole unused pre-paid research hours will be refunded to the client.
2. Payment Terms and Fees
2.1. For searching, record retrieval and copying of wills and probate records and inquests only, all clients will be quoted before commencement of research. Payment in full is required before commencing the research and record retrieval.
2.2. Any subsequent research or retrievals will be agreed upon between Born and Bred Historical Research and the client and will be payable on invoice at the completion of the project and within 7 days of invoice being issued.
2.3. An hourly rate is charged for time spent on research, record retrieval and copying of the above records. Electronic copies are free of charge, however, should the client require hard copies of any records, a copying fee will be charged and agreed upon prior to commencement.
2.4. Expenses are charged at cost (e.g. birth, marriage & death certificates, probate office fee’s, postage etc), and will be detailed prior to obtaining and copying records.
2.5. All prices quoted are in AUD (Australian Dollars). Born and Bred Historical Research do not accept payment in any other currency. The preferred method of payment is direct bank transfer. Bank account details will be provided upon invoice. Cheques are to be made payable to Born and Bred Historical Research. Payment via PayPal can be arranged at an additional 2.7% charge; international transactions incur a 3.7% charge. Payment via credit card can be arranged at an additional 1.4%-2.3% charge.
3. Likelihood of Success
3.1. It should be noted by any prospective client that it is sometimes not possible to locate a record or document. For example, if a record was never created, subject to archival disposal and retention laws and destroyed or even lost by the agency.
4. General Points
4.1. All research and retrievals commissioned to Born and Bred Historical Research will be conducted by Phoebe Wilkens except for research or retrievals that require specialist input. In the event that the use of a third-party specialist is required, the matter will be discussed and agreed upon with the client ahead of the research. In the event specialist research or retrievals are required, Born and Bred Historical Research will do our utmost to locate details for third-party specialists who may be able to assist. Client details will not be shared with a third party without prior consent.
4.2. The client and researcher shall maintain regular verbal and/or written contact, communicating as appropriate any details, issues, suggestions, questions and/or timeframes in order to ensure a smooth and effective working relationship.
4.3. All information provided by the client will be held as confidential by the researcher and Born and Bred Historical Research.