• By commissioning Heritage Chronicles Ltd, you agree to these Terms and Conditions.

• All research projects begin with a free no obligation quote and initial consultation to define scope and viability.

• Research work will begin only once agreed-upon terms, and a 50% deposit have been received.

• Once booking has been confirmed you will receive an expected completion date.  If you have a completion date in mind you must specify this prior to booking to avoid potential disappointment.

You will be asked to sign a contract once Heritage Chronicles Ltd accepts your order and confirms the agreed scope of work. This confirms our agreement and protects both parties.

Fees, Deposits and Payments

• Projects are charged either at our published hourly rate or as part of a fixed-price package.

• No work will proceed beyond the agreed budget without your explicit permission.

• Final deliverables (reports, charts, books) will be issued once full payment has been received.

• Invoices are payable within 14 days, unless otherwise agreed. 

• If your project is cancelled after research has commenced, you remain liable for research time and expenses incurred to date.

• If we must cancel a commission (e.g. records unavailable or insurmountable research barrier), we’ll refund remaining pre-paid fees, less work already completed.

• All research is conducted collaboratively by two qualified historians, each holding a BA in Social and Cultural History and MA in History (North East Wales and border counties 1700-1950), ensuring accuracy, rigour, and a balanced interpretive approach.

• Research includes time spent gathering records, analysis, writing reports, creating charts, and communicating with you.

• No guarantee is made that specific ancestors or property details will be found.  Research outcomes depend on surviving, accessible records.  However, during our initial discussion considering project scope and viability we aim to identify potential difficulties and discuss these with you in advance of booking.

• Negative search results are still chargeable but will be covered in the final report as evidence of thorough investigation. 

• Please provide all prior research, documentation, and relevant details upfront to avoid duplicated effort, and to ensure that the time you pay for is managed in the most cost-effective manner.

• If sharing personal data about third parties (e.g. living relatives), you confirm that you have the legal right to do so.

• Heritage Chronicles Ltd retains copyright to all research reports, charts, and narrative content.  These materials may not be changed, reproduced, published, or shared outside personal use without written permission.

• Any third-party documents or images supplied by you or acquired through our research should have clear usage rights; otherwise, we may need to obtain permissions separately.

• All client information is kept strictly confidential unless you specify otherwise.

• We adhere to the ethical and professional codes of conduct set by heritage research bodies.

• In conducting research, Heritage Chronicles Ltd makes use of a wide range of publicly available and licensed records.  These may include, but are no limited to, civil registration records, census returns, parish registers, land and property records, electoral registers, local archives, and digitised databases.

• To fulfil your commissioned research, we may engage with carefully selected third-party providers (for example, subscription genealogy databases, archives, societies, and printing or book production partners).  Only the minimum information required for the stated purpose will be shared, and such sharing will always be carried out in compliance with current UK data protection law.

• A list of the principal third-party services we currently use can be found in our Privacy Policy.  This list is monitored and updated periodically.

• Heritage Chronicles Ltd does not sell, lease, or otherwise trade personal data to third parties.  Any use of external services is strictly for the delivery of the agreed research and related products.

• We retain project files for six months post-completion; additional copies may not be available after this period.

• We securely dispose of files once thy are no longer required or upon request (subject to legal or financial obligations)

• We conduct all research carefully, but cannot be held liable for any loss, damage, or emotional distress resulting from the outcomes of research.

• On occasion, genealogical research may reveal facts that people may find disturbing.  Therefore, careful consideration must be taken by the client in advance of commission.

• Our liability, where applicable, is limited to the total fees paid for the service.

• If you’re not satisfied with any part of our service, please contact us directly to resolve.