A curiosity of European (expansion) history is that some European countries still hold overseas territories today, long after the era of imperialism and colonial history. In 2026, this was particularly highlighted by Greenland; in addition, it is mostly small islands in the Caribbean and the South Pacific that form more or less integrated parts of their respective mainland countries and are therefore also partly part of the European Union. Few people may be aware, for example, that France’s longest external border is with Brazil (French Guiana) or that the Caribbean island of Saint Martin appears on the map depicted on the 50‑euro banknote.

Since our work also takes into account these historical peculiarities, and cases have repeatedly arisen involving mainland Europe and the “European Caribbean”—and vice versa—we decided at the end of 2025, together with our long‑standing, highly respected Dutch colleague, to establish a small subsidiary in the Dutch part of the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten (Dutch/French—in fact the smallest divided island in the world and the only area worldwide where France borders the Kingdom of the Netherlands). This company, Inheritas B.V., began operations at the start of 2026.

From Sint Maarten, our daughter company processes cases from mainland Europe, especially from the Netherlands and the “Hexagon” (metropolitan France), that lead into the “European Caribbean”. This includes Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius, Saba, as well as Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Martin, St. Barthélemy, French Guiana, and also British overseas islands such as Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, or the Cayman Islands. Furthermore, there are also occasional cases originating in the USA and Canada that fall within the “European Caribbean”. Finally, we are occasionally commissioned by authorities in these regions to search for legally entitled heirs when a person dies on one of these islands without identifiable heirs, and there is a possibility that relatives or beneficiaries may live outside the region—usually in Europe, North America, or Central and South America.