The Court Record the Client Wants Left Out
You have finished a client report for a family reunion. In a 1975 court file, you found that the client's deceased father had a son outside his marriage; the son is named in a support order. The client has told you, 'My mother is 88 and fragile. Leave out anything that isn't the official story.' You also found that a cousin who will attend is not biologically related to the family, though no one has asked. The client is paying for the report and expects to distribute 40 copies.
1. Identify the ethical issues and explain what you can and cannot do under genealogical standards.
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The core issues are truthfulness, client confidentiality, informed consent, and the limits of client direction. I can honor a request for tone and distribution, but I cannot falsify or omit a material fact while presenting the report as a complete genealogy. The 1975 court record is relevant to the family structure and is not gossip; it is a public record. The cousin's biological status is different: it is not asked about and may be private, so I would not include it unless it is necessary to the stated research question. I would tell the client that I cannot label a report 'complete' if I suppress the court record.
2. How would you structure the report and communicate the findings to the client? Include documentation choices.
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I would produce two layers: a full research report for the client with the court record cited and discussed, and a short reunion handout that presents only the agreed public narrative, clearly labeled as a summary. The handout would not claim to be the full report. In the full report I would cite the court file by case number, court, and date, and explain the evidentiary weight. I would tell the client the finding before she distributes anything, offer to discuss wording, and suggest she speak with her mother if appropriate. I would not disclose the cousin's status to anyone.
3. What if the client insists on removing the court record from the report? What are your options?
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If the client insists on removing the court record, I would explain that I can narrow the scope of the report to a different question, or write a family history that does not purport to be exhaustive, but I cannot write a report that implies no other children existed when I have evidence to the contrary. I would offer to keep the full report private and give her a separate summary. If she wants me to sign a report that is misleading, I would decline and document my withdrawal in writing. I would return the retainer for unfinished work as appropriate.