Michael L. Strauss Consulting Services uses a tiered fee structure based on the specific legal, research, and archival needs of each case. Work is scheduled, budgeted, and billed in pre-arranged blocks of time or corporate retainers agreed upon in advance.

• Private Client Lineage & Family History: This tier is structured exclusively for private individuals seeking personal lineage tracing, family trees, and lineage society applications (such as DAR/SAR). Initial consultations are provided with a customized private rate assessment based on the specific repository scope.
• Forensic Kinship, Probate Litigation & Asset Valuation: This tier applies to all formal law firm retentions, trust administrations, corporate probate files, missing heir due diligence mandates, historical asset provenance tracking, and court-qualified expert witness testimony. Legal proceedings require meticulous, court-ready preparation. This includes generating comprehensive demonstrative exhibits, sequentially stamped lists of exhibits, and cross-referenced paternal and maternal moiety charts. To accommodate the advanced research, narrative reporting, and administrative standards demanded by the courts, all litigation and estate services operate under an independent Professional Fee Schedule and Retainer Framework.

Every research project is unique, and estimated completion timelines depend entirely on the nature of the work, record availability, and depth of analysis required. To evaluate a new matter, review an active legal file, or request a copy of our Current Forensic Fee Schedule and Retention Agreement, please contact me directly to review our current pay schedule.

Project Expenses & Administrative Cost Recovery

Direct project expenses incurred during investigation are subject to standard administrative cost recovery tiers. Typical project expenses may include:

• Travel Accommodations: Portal-to-portal transit fees, tolls, lodging, and meals when required, alongside mileage billed at current statutory IRS business rates.
• Repository & Facility Access: Admission or usage fees for physical archives, libraries, and specialized research facilities.
• Document Acquisition: Certified copies of vital records, historical state files, and official government documents (subject to a standardized procurement and administrative processing fee).
• Technology & Infrastructure Support: Digital imaging, advanced photocopies, certifications, apostilles, and specialized access to secure genealogical and historical databases.
• Regional Subcontracting: Fees for localized repository researchers in alternative regions of the United States or abroad, when logistically necessary to advance the file.