Hi Melissa,

For myself, I generally do not feel comfortable starting in the middle of someone else's work. As an abstractor I like to start from the beginning point so that I know what is going on with the property that I am searching. I don't mind doing an update from a prior policy because it is understood that we are not liable for anything before the policy issue. A gap search is different though. You are not always privy to what the company/searcher has found in the work that they have already completed and so it can be confusing working off someone else's work. As for other abstractors, they may feel a little insulted that they were not assigned the initial search to begin with. Hope this help!