When you decide you want help with your genealogy research, do yourself a favor and hire a professional.

You could of course pay a friend to do some research, but here are some reasons to hire a professional.

1. Professional genealogists voluntarily agree to abide by a code of ethics, as described either here, or here.
2. They voluntarily take classes in how to do genealogy, not just once but continually. Continuing education is part of the standards.
3. Professional genealogists at some point in their career voluntarily demonstrate their competence in genealogy research with either the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) or the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGEN).

If your research concerns ancestors from German-speaking lands or from the former Russian Empire (today Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, etc), reach out to me. These are my traditional areas of expertise. I have also learned and done many hours of research for Swedish and Norwegian ancestors. I also can help any US family track down where their ancestors came from.

For other research needs, I recommend searching the directory of the Association of Professional Genealogists for someone with the specialty you need. Never settle for second best. Always choose a professional.