Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms By using this website or purchasing services from Collaborative Genealogy Solutions, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.

2. Nature of Services Collaborative Genealogy Solutions provides professional historical and genealogical research. We sell our time and expertise, not specific results.

3. No Guarantees & Negative Evidence

Availability of Records: Historical records are sometimes lost, destroyed, or never existed. We cannot guarantee that we will find a specific document or answer a specific question.
Payment for Time: Fees are charged for the time spent conducting research, analysis, and reporting. You are responsible for payment even if the research yields "negative" results (i.e., the record could not be found).

4. Payment & Retainers

Retainer: A 100% upfront retainer is required to book a research block. Work will not commence until the invoice is paid.
Refunds: Unused retainer hours are refundable. Hours already worked are non-refundable.

5. DNA Research & Unexpected Findings If your project involves DNA analysis, you acknowledge that genealogy can reveal unexpected biological relationships (e.g., adoption, non-paternity events). Collaborative Genealogy Solutions is not liable for any emotional distress or family complications resulting from the accurate reporting of research findings.

6. Intellectual Property

Our Rights: We retain the copyright to all written reports and research logs produced by us.
Your License: You are granted a perpetual, non-exclusive license to use the reports for personal family history purposes. You may share them with family, but you may not resell or publish the reports commercially without our written permission.

7. Limitation of Liability To the maximum extent permitted by law, Collaborative Genealogy Solutions shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from the use of our services. Our total liability is limited to the amount paid by you for the specific service in question.

8. Governing Law These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota.

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