HOW I WORK

  • Once your project has been agreed, you will be emailed an invoice. For domestic payments, a bank transfer is preferred; for international payments, we recommend wise.com. Currency conversion fees may apply.

    Research Roots is not VAT registered.

  • I treat it as a privilege to research your family history, and I keep the personal information you give me confidential. I will not share anything concerning your family, business or personal affairs without your consent, and I will not publish the results of research you have paid for without your consent either.

    My working, digital copy of your family tree is stored privately on Ancestry.com and is accessible by invitation only.

    Research Roots is the trading name of Naomi Leon, who is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office as a data controller under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 (registration no. Z2900951).

  • Copyright in all reports I supply remains with Research Roots. The research material I deliver is for the sole use of you and your family, and should not be reproduced in hard copy or digitally.

  • I am an Associate member of the Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA), and I follow its code of practice for all client work. Further information can be found here.

Naomi has taken me on a wonderful journey of discovery and given me an insight into a past that I never knew existed. She has uncovered stories that have confirmed family rumours dating back more than 120 years.

Naomi is inspirational and excellent at communicating her findings and provides a thoroughly professional approach to her work. Her attention to detail and in-depth knowledge of lives, traditions and stories of Eastern European migrant Jews looking for a better life demonstrates that she is really an expert in this field.

— G. Shambrook, West Sussex

Beginning research

If you have a Jewish family history enquiry, start with the enquiry form. For probate, estate or other non-Jewish research, please send an email.

The enquiry form takes about ten minutes, and it asks the things I need to know to begin research: the surnames, where the family came from, where they first settled here, how far back you can already go, and what you most want to find out. Not every question needs an answer. Whatever you know is enough to start with.

Any extra detail or documents you can send me helps, particularly if the surname is a common one. It lets me pin down the right people in the records and stops me duplicating anything you already know. Please don't worry if you have very little. Even the tiniest scrap can be significant.

I read every enquiry myself and usually reply within a few working days. I will tell you whether I think I can help, which records I would expect to use, and how big a job it is. I can never promise the answer you are hoping for, but I only take on work I believe has a reasonable chance of success.

Timings

Every project is different. A start date and timescale will be agreed at the outset. I can normally make a start within a month. If the research is a gift for a birthday or an anniversary, or has a specific deadline, please give me as much notice as you can.

International research can be slow, and I sometimes ask to extend the timetable if I need to wait on an archive or a third party. That is always put to you first. I keep a time log and give you updates as I go. The best results are not always the fastest.

Cost

My rate is £100 an hour, which covers my time and access to a range of specialist, subscription-only resources. My minimum project is usually five hours, though it can be discussed. Once I understand what you are hoping to find, I set out a plan matched to the scope of the work. Payment is taken in advance.

Certificates, copies of records, translation, travel and archive visits are charged separately and invoiced as they arise. I will never run up a cost without clearing it with you first and telling you why I think it is necessary.

What clients say

  • “It’s been an amazing journey of discovery, and I can’t think of anyone else I would have wanted to lead me on it.”

    — C. Glover, London

  • “The results gave our 89-year-old aunts the name of their grandfather and their Polish family history back to 1776!”

    — L. Gould, Chingford, Essex

  • “You are like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible! I am very grateful to you and amazed at your ability to find people so quickly.”

    — D. Murray, Adams & Remers Solicitors, East Sussex

  • “Any professional writer attempting to unpick and reweave real-life histories should give Naomi a call.”

    — N. Jaworski, London

  • “Thanks to you, I spoke to my brother this afternoon on the telephone. It was over 50 years ago that I last saw him.”

    — J. Cerrato, France

  • “All your information was spot on. I have been in contact with my birth mother, we have exchanged letters and spoken on the telephone.”

    — Anonymous

  • “Naomi is a tireless and creative researcher. She unearthed information which my family had not been able to find in several years of research.”

    — H. Harvey, New York

  • “Naomi helped me piece together some really tricky evidence of my ancestors which, ultimately, helped me and my family to gain ancestral citizenship.”

    — D. Williams, London

  • “I have been engaged in genealogical research for 45 years, and rarely have I come across someone who works with such a high degree of professionalism, efficiency and speed.”

    — M. Denn, Dallas, Texas

  • “I asked Naomi to do a small amount of research on my paternal grandfather’s side of the family. She came up with a wealth of detail that was way beyond my expectations.”

    — N. Pistrang, London

  • “Probably the best present I’ve ever given. It was supremely well received.”

    — R. Womack, London

  • “I am going crazy with all of this. I was a normal person before I met you but I’m so glad I did.”

    — F. Hirsch, Yorktown Heights, New York

“If you dig hard enough, there are at least three great stories in any family.”

— Stephen Poliakoff