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ForeverDear: Terms of Service

1. The Service Agreement

By commissioning a Heritage Strategy Session, Ancestral Report, or Heritage Report, you are entering into a contract for professional genealogical research services. Our goal is to provide a clear, documented narrative of your family history.

2. Evidence-Based Research & DNA

  • The Nature of Evidence: We utilise a ‘cross-verification’ approach, comparing historical paper records with biological DNA match data where available.
  • Expertise Disclosure: ForeverDear provides genealogical analysis, not forensic or medical DNA testing. We do not provide health reports or paternity testing for legal purposes.
  • DNA Platforms: We work across major third-party platforms (e.g., Ancestry, MyHeritage). Your data on these sites remains subject to their specific terms.

3. Research Limitations (Managing Expectations)

  • Record Discrepancies: You acknowledge that historical records – particularly the 1901 and 1911 Irish Censuses and Ship Passenger Manifests – frequently contain discrepancies in ages, birth years, and name spellings. ForeverDear uses professional triangulation to identify ancestors despite these common historical inconsistencies.
  • Record Loss: Some research goals may be unattainable due to the historical destruction of records (e.g., the 1922 Four Courts fire).

4. Client Responsibilities & Access

  • The 24-Hour Rule: To ensure a productive Strategy Session, the client agrees to grant ForeverDear “Guest,” “Editor,” or “Collaborator” access to their chosen genealogy platforms at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment.
  • No-Password Policy: Clients should never share their account passwords. Access must be granted via the platform’s official invitation/sharing tools.

5. Privacy & Sensitive Discoveries

  • Professional Discretion: Genealogy research can occasionally reveal information that contradicts family lore or uncovers unexpected biological connections. ForeverDear handles such findings with the utmost sensitivity and will discuss them with the client privately.
  • Data Security: Your final research is hosted in a secure Google Drive folder for two years. It is the client’s responsibility to download and back up these files before the two-year deletion date.

6. Payments, Deposits & Disbursements

  • Deposits: A non-refundable deposit is required to secure research time.
  • Third-Party Fees: Costs for official GRO (Birth, Marriage, Death) certificates are not included in the service fee and will be billed at cost only when necessary.
  • Refunds: As research is a service based on professional time and expertise, refunds are not provided for completed research hours, regardless of whether a specific ancestor is ‘found’.

7. Intellectual Property

  • Ownership: Clients own the data contained within the GEDCOM file. ForeverDear retains copyright over the specific narrative design, layout, and creative writing within the PDF Reports.
  • Usage: You are granted a personal license to share and reproduce the report for non-commercial family use.

8. Acceptance of Terms

By booking a service via Cal.com or paying a Stripe invoice, you signify your acceptance of these Terms of Service.