You have a family tree that you built with the top online genealogy websites in the nation. You’re good to go, right? Not necessarily. How do you take an online family tree and shore it up to be a defensible tool in court? This presentation will discuss the types of data you will find on online genealogy websites and how to recognize weaknesses in the tree. Learn how to take your client’s family tree from a “dirty tree” to a strong “defensible tree.”

Christine Cochran is a forensic genealogist and has been the owner of Forensic & Family Genealogy, LLC for eight years. She has conducted research for the popular PBS show “Finding Your Roots” starring Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and has been interviewed by Genealogy TV, KGNU radio, and PBN radio. She has also been published internationally in Irish Roots Magazine. Christine assists the legal community as a forensic genealogist focusing on probate court cases such as guardianships and estates of deceased persons in which the nearest living relatives are unknown. She also presents and teaches all over the country and gives continuing legal education classes to bar associations. Her wide range of clients includes lawyers, guardians, and executors of estates.