When hiring a professional to perform your Italian research there are several things to consider.  A professional researcher is not a certified genealogist.  A certified genealogist has qualifications and a deeper understanding of the process of creating a family tree.  He/she can solve lineage problems and know where to find obscure records to continue your family line. A certified genealogist is invaluable for noble family lines as they are familiar with notarial records that can provide additional information.  Genealogists often use professional researchers to do the ‘legwork’ of the search, reviewing and controlling the information as it is found, and deciding how to proceed.  Certified Genealogists cost more than researchers, but are important when there are problems.

Many Geneaolgists and researchers are located in the USA and use the records microfimed by the LDS for their research.  This is perfectly acceptable however the LDS have not filmed all Italian records and sometimes they filmed only copies which lack some of the additional information that can be found in the town originals.

Ideally you want to hire someone who can go directly to the town of origin and search the archives of the town or parish.  You also want to make sure they can commmunicate with you in the English language and interpret the information found.

Your researcher must also have a good command of the Italian language and the rules surrounding the obtaining of information.

Since most priests will not do genealogical research it may be necessary to pay your researcher to go directly to the parish.  Again I urge you to choose someone already located in Italy or you may be contributing to their airfare in their fee.

Make sure the fees are clearly stated.  A fee for (up to) 9 generations of research may seem like a good deal but if the records don’t exist for the last 3 generations the fee may stand anyway.  Decide how you want the results to be presented.  Do you want copies of the records and a GEDCOM file, or the information already arranged in book form ready to present to your family.  Each format will have its own price.  Your budget will determine which you choose.