international network
Cases in Flanders, office in Ghent
Geritance originates in Flanders. Our family roots date back to the 19th century in Mariakerke, which means that genealogical and historical research in this region has been part of our practice for generations. The first probate-related investigations carried out by Geritance therefore took place in Flanders. Thanks to this long-standing presence, we have developed in-depth knowledge of Flemish archives and local administrative structures. This historical continuity still forms the foundation of our expertise today.
From our office in Ghent, we handle a significant portion of our Flemish cases, in close cooperation with notaries, curators and heirs. This local presence enables us to carry out on-site research, maintain close working relationships with Flemish archives and guide heirs in a precise and timely manner.
Flanders remains to this day our core region, and forms the foundation upon which our activities in Brussels, Wallonia and internationally have been further developed.
Cases in Brussels and Wallonia, office in Brussels
The registered office of Geritance is located in Brussels. From this central location, we handle cases in the Brussels-Capital Region, in Wallonia and internationally. Thanks to our knowledge of French-speaking administrations and archives, we have been assisting with cases in Wallonia and Brussels for many years with the same level of expertise as in Flanders. Our presence in Brussels also offers a significant practical advantage. It enables us to access archives, administrations and institutions quickly and directly, and to coordinate research centrally across the different regions of Belgium.
Brussels also serves as a strategic meeting point for our international correspondents and partners. From this location, we maintain active collaborations with foreign genealogical firms and legal professionals, which is essential in a context where estates increasingly have international dimensions.
Our Brussels-based team is fully trilingual (Dutch–French–English) and operates daily in a multilingual environment. This linguistic expertise is essential for cases throughout Belgium, as well as for communication with heirs, administrations and professional partners abroad.
International cases – correspondents and partners
Although Geritance is operationally anchored in Flanders (Ghent) and Brussels, estates today increasingly have an international character. Heirs reside abroad, families are geographically dispersed and key archival sources can in those cases be located outside Belgium. International migration, cross-border marriages and historical patterns of emigration mean that estates are increasingly international in nature.
In order to respond adequately to this, Geritance has developed an extensive network of international correspondents and specialised partners. This network enables us to locate heirs abroad, collect genealogical and legal information internationally and coordinate cross-border cases efficiently, always in compliance with applicable national legislation and local procedures. We collaborate, among others, with correspondents and partner firms in: Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, France, Ghana, Hungary, Italy, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Austria, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Tunisia, the United States and Switzerland. In Luxembourg, we carry out the research ourselves, although we do not have an office established there at the moment.
Thanks to this international network, identifying and locating heirs abroad does not constitute an obstacle. We are able to identify and contact heirs abroad and establish the necessary familial and legal links required for a proper and legally valid settlement of the estate.
Professional anchoring and international recognition
Geritance is a member of SYGENE, an association that unites professional genealogical firms. This organ brings together genealogists and aims to promote quality, ethics and professional standards, as well as to represent the interests of its members before institutions.
SYGENE is a co-founder of Généalogistes de France, the national representative organisation of professional genealogists in France, which represents more than 95% of genealogical activity in the country, both in probate and family genealogy. Through this professional integration, our practice is connected to the French consumer mediation framework and embedded within the official genealogical landscape in France.
Thanks to this, Geritance has access to French archives and administrations, allowing us to conduct research in France independently and directly. This strengthens not only our expertise in French cases, but also our collaboration with French notaries, institutions and fellow genealogists.
International inflow of cases
Due to our international positioning and visibility, we are regularly contacted by foreign genealogical firms, financial institutions and administrations regarding cases with a connection to Belgium. These cases do not relate exclusively to estates, but also include, among others, dormant assets, unclaimed funds and property rights.
Our role is then to handle the Belgian component of these cases: conducting local research, consulting Belgian archives, locating heirs or beneficiaries in Belgium and establishing the legal basis of the identified family relationships.