Legacy Vault — Complete Guide
Everything you need to know about how your vault works, who can see what, and how your data stays protected.
Basic Plus Plan Required
The Legacy Vault is available on the Basic Plus plan and above. You can upgrade anytime from Settings → Subscription.
Table of Contents
Complete Flow — At a Glance
Initial Setup (one-time)
Day-to-Day Management (anytime after setup)
Trigger Path (automatic if you stop checking in)
Click any step above to go directly to that screen. Full details in the sections below.
How It Works — Step by Step
Create your vault
Name it, pick an icon, and add a description. This is your secure container for legacy planning.
Add items with descriptions
Link existing items from My Items, or create new ones directly. Add estimated values, storage locations, and private notes that only you and co-owners can see. You can skip this step and add items later.
Add nominees
Designate trusted people or organizations who should receive your items. Each nominee gets a personal message from you. You can skip this step and add nominees later.
See Section 8 for roles →Allocate items to nominees
Decide who gets what. You can split items across multiple nominees with percentage-based allocation.
Configure the trigger
Set an inactivity period (15–365 days). If you stop checking in, the system progresses through reminder → grace → disclosure.
See Section 10 for full details →Stay checked in
Check in regularly through the app. Each check-in resets the timer. Co-owners can also check in and change trigger settings on your behalf.
Your Legacy Dashboard
The Legacy Vault dashboard is your command center. It shows your vault status, stats, and quick actions all in one place.
Dashboard Stats
Items
Items linked to vault
Nominees
People or orgs designated
Allocated
Items assigned to nominees
Unallocated
Items not yet assigned
Multiple Vaults
You can create more than one Legacy Vault (e.g., one for family, another for a business partner). Use the vault switcher pills at the top of the dashboard to switch between them. Each vault has its own items, nominees, allocations, and trigger.
Vaults You're Part Of
If someone adds you as a co-owner or nominee, their vault appears in a separate "Vaults You're Part Of" section at the bottom of your Legacy page. Each card shows your role and the vault owner's name.
Co-Owner
Full access after accepting invite
Nominee
Locked until vault is triggered
Managing Vault Items
Items in your Legacy Vault come from your My Items vault. You link existing items or create new ones directly.
Link Existing Items
Open the link panel, search or filter your items, and click to add them to the vault. Items remain in My Items — linking doesn't move them.
Create New Item
During setup (or anytime from the items page), create a new item directly. It will be added to both My Items and linked to this vault.
Item Categories
Each item has a category that helps organize your vault. Categories include:
Unlinking Items
Click the unlink button on any item to remove it from the vault. The item stays in My Items — it's only removed from this vault.
Items in multiple vaults: An item can be linked to more than one Legacy Vault. If an item is already in another vault, you'll see a warning badge showing which vault it belongs to. This is allowed but worth noting for allocation clarity.
Use the search bar to find items by name, and category or status filters (linked vs. available) to narrow results quickly.
Managing Nominees
Nominees are the people or organizations who will receive your items when the vault is disclosed. You can add individuals or organizations.
Individual
- First name & last name
- Email (required) & phone (optional)
- Relationship: Spouse, Child, Sibling, Parent, Friend, Lawyer, Accountant, Other
- Personal message (shown in portal)
Organization
- Organization name & type
- Types: Law Firm, Charity, Financial Institution, Trust Company, Other
- Contact person name
- Email & phone
Managing Your Nominees
Edit nominee: Update name, email, phone, relationship, or personal message from the nominee detail page.
Resend notification: If a nominee didn't receive their notification email, use the "Resend" button on their detail page.
Delete nominee: Remove a nominee entirely. Any allocations to them will also be removed.
Verification Status
Each nominee shows a status badge: Pending until verified, then Verified. You don't need to take action — verification is handled internally.
Nominees don't know they've been added. They receive no notification until the vault is triggered. Their email is only used for internal verification and future disclosure delivery.
Allocations In Detail
Allocations connect items to nominees — deciding who gets what. Each item can go to one nominee or be split among several.
How It Works
Go to the Allocations page from your dashboard
Select an item to allocate (unallocated items are highlighted)
Choose one or more nominees to receive the item
Set the percentage each nominee receives (must total 100%)
Add an optional allocation note (e.g., "Keep this in the family safe")
Example: Splitting an Item
Item: Grandmother's Diamond Ring
→ Daughter (50%) — "This was grandma's most cherished piece"
→ Son (50%) — "Consider passing this to your children someday"
Unallocated items won't be disclosed. Your dashboard shows how many items are unallocated. Make sure every item is assigned to at least one nominee before arming the vault.
Managing Co-Owners
A co-owner is a trusted person who can help manage your vault and act as a safety net during the trigger process.
Inviting a Co-Owner
Go to the Co-Owners page from your dashboard
Enter the co-owner's email address and send the invitation
They receive an email invitation to join your vault
Once they accept, their status changes from "Invited" to "Accepted"
They now see your vault under "Vaults You're Part Of" on their Legacy page
What Co-Owners Can Do
Can:
View all items & private notes
Edit items & descriptions
Manage nominees & allocations
Check in & change trigger settings
Cancel trigger during grace period
Cannot:
Delete the vault
Add or remove other co-owners
Manually trigger disclosure
Removing a co-owner: Only the vault owner can remove co-owners. Their access is revoked immediately. The owner can never be removed.
Trust carefully: Co-owners can see everything in the vault, including private notes that may contain passwords, safe combinations, or sensitive codes. Only invite someone you trust completely.
How Your Data Is Protected
End-to-End Encryption
All vault data is encrypted with AES-256-GCM using dual-key encryption. Your passphrase creates one key, and MyDocuva holds the other. Neither party can decrypt alone.
Zero-Knowledge Architecture
Files are encrypted client-side before upload. MyDocuva never holds your decryption keys and cannot access your unencrypted data — even our staff cannot see your vault contents.
Access Controls
Only the vault owner and co-owners can see everything. Nominees have no visibility until the vault is triggered, and even then they only see items allocated specifically to them.
Private Notes Separation
Private notes (safe combinations, passwords, access codes) are kept strictly separate and are NEVER shared with nominees — only the owner and co-owners can see them.
Audit Trail
All actions are logged: views, edits, downloads, shares. You always know who accessed what and when.
Roles: Owner vs Co-Owner vs Nominee
Owner
- Full access to everything
- Create, edit, delete items
- Manage nominees & allocations
- Arm/pause/trigger vault
- Manage co-owners
- View private notes
Co-Owner
- View and edit all items
- Manage nominees & allocations
- Check in & change trigger settings
- View private notes
- Cancel trigger during grace period
- Cannot delete vault
- Cannot add other co-owners
Nominee
- Before trigger: No visibility
- After trigger: See allocated items
- Download attachments
- View personal messages
- Acknowledge receipt
- Cannot see private notes
Important: Co-owners have full visibility into your vault, including private notes that may contain sensitive information like passwords or safe combinations. Only add someone as a co-owner if you trust them completely.
Who Sees What — Visibility Matrix
| Data Type | Owner | Co-Owner | Nominee (pre) | Nominee (post) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Item names & details | ✅ | ✅ | — | 🔓 |
| Item attachments | ✅ | ✅ | — | 🔓 |
| Private notes | ✅ | ✅ | — | — |
| Nominee messages | ✅ | ✅ | — | 🔓 |
| Allocation details | ✅ | ✅ | — | 🔓 |
| Other nominees' info | ✅ | ✅ | — | — |
| Vault settings | ✅ | — | — | — |
| Trigger controls | ✅ | ✅ | — | — |
🔓 = Only after vault is triggered, and only for items specifically allocated to that nominee.
The Trigger Process Explained
The trigger is a safety mechanism that ensures your vault is disclosed only when you can no longer check in. Here's exactly what happens at each stage:
Armed
Timer running
Reminder
Notifications
Grace
Final window
Triggered
Processing
Disclosed
Nominees notified
Your vault is active and monitoring. A countdown timer runs based on your inactivity period (e.g., 60 days). Each time you or a co-owner checks in, the timer resets to zero. Co-owners can also change trigger settings.
If you miss your check-in deadline, the vault enters reminder phase. Daily email reminders are sent. Co-owners are also notified.
If reminders go unanswered, a final grace period begins (24–168 hours). Urgent notifications are sent. Co-owners can cancel the trigger during this window.
If no one responds, the vault discloses. Each nominee receives an email with a secure link to view their allocated items. This cannot be undone.
Multiple safety nets: Between the inactivity period, reminder phase, and grace period, there are typically 30–60+ days of protection before any disclosure happens. A co-owner provides an additional human safety net during the grace period.
You can PAUSE monitoring anytime (e.g., vacation). You can also manually trigger disclosure immediately from the Trigger Settings page.
Manual Disclosure
You can skip the automatic process and trigger disclosure immediately:
Go to Trigger Settings from your dashboard
Click "Disclose Vault" at the bottom of the page
A confirmation dialog shows which nominees will be notified
Confirm to proceed — this cannot be undone
Recommended Configurations
Standard: 60-day inactivity + 7-day reminder + 48-hour grace
Frequent traveler: 90-day inactivity + 14-day reminder + 72-hour grace
High security: 30-day inactivity + 3-day reminder + 24-hour grace + co-owner
Nominee Portal — What They Experience
After disclosure, each nominee can access their allocated items in two ways:
📧 Email Link
Each nominee receives a secure email with a unique portal link.
🏛️ In-App Button
If the nominee has a MyDocuva account, a "View My Items" button appears on their Legacy page — no need to dig through email.
What the nominee portal shows:
A welcome banner with the vault owner's name
The personal message you wrote for them
A list of items allocated specifically to them
Attachments (photos, documents) for each item
A download button for each attachment
An "Acknowledge" button to confirm they received the items
Portal access expires 90 days after disclosure. Nominees do not see private notes, other nominees, or vault settings.
Post-Disclosure — What Happens Next
Once a vault is disclosed, several things change permanently. Understanding the post-disclosure state helps you plan effectively.
Vault Becomes Read-Only
After disclosure, you can still view your vault and all its contents, but you cannot add, remove, or modify items. Edit buttons are hidden. The vault is frozen in the state it was at the moment of disclosure.
Nominee Acknowledgment Tracking
Your dashboard shows which nominees have accessed their portal and acknowledged receipt:
Acknowledged
Nominee confirmed they received items
Pending
Nominee hasn't accessed portal yet
Portal Access Lifecycle
Email sent: Each nominee receives a secure portal link via email immediately after disclosure.
Active for 90 days: Nominees can view and download their allocated items, attachments, and your personal message.
Expires after 90 days: Portal access is automatically revoked. Nominees must contact MyDocuva support for an extension.
Disclosure is permanent. Once triggered, it cannot be reversed. Make sure your items, nominees, and allocations are all correct before arming the vault.
Privacy & Data Handling
Data Storage
All data is encrypted at rest on AWS infrastructure with AES-256. Files are stored in S3 with server-side encryption in addition to your client-side encryption.
Data Deletion
You can delete your vault and all associated data at any time. Deletion requests are processed in compliance with GDPR. Once deleted, data cannot be recovered.
Backups
Encrypted backups are maintained across geographically redundant AWS regions for disaster recovery. Backup data is encrypted with the same dual-key model.
Disclosure Mechanics
When a vault is triggered, encrypted data is re-encrypted with nominee-specific keys. The original owner's encryption key is never shared with nominees.
Portal Expiry
Nominee portal access automatically expires 90 days after disclosure. After expiry, nominees must contact MyDocuva support to request an extension.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I forget to check in?
Multiple safety nets protect you. First the reminder phase sends daily email reminders. Then a grace period gives your co-owner a chance to cancel. Between your inactivity period and these buffers, you typically have 30–60+ days before any disclosure happens.
Can I change things after setup?
Yes, everything is fully editable at any time — items, nominees, allocations, trigger settings, and co-owners. Changes take effect immediately.
Do nominees know they've been added?
No. Nominees have zero visibility until the vault is triggered. Their email is verified internally but they receive no notification until disclosure.
What if I want to trigger the vault intentionally?
You can manually trigger disclosure at any time from the Trigger Settings page. A confirmation dialog prevents accidental triggers.
What if a nominee's email changes?
You can update nominee email addresses anytime from the Nominees page. The new address will be used for all future communications.
Is there a limit on items or nominees?
Limits depend on your plan tier. You can view your current limits and upgrade anytime from Settings → Subscription.
What happens if MyDocuva shuts down?
We maintain an escrow arrangement. In the unlikely event of shutdown, all active vaults would be triggered and nominees notified, ensuring your wishes are still carried out.
Can I use this alongside a real will?
Absolutely. The Legacy Vault is a digital delivery mechanism, not a legal will. It complements your existing estate planning by ensuring digital documents, photos, and messages reach the right people quickly.
How is this different from the Family Plan?
They're completely separate. The Family Plan is for everyday sharing with family members (travel, insurance). The Legacy Vault is for inheritance — ensuring items reach nominees when you're gone. The same person (e.g., your spouse) can hold roles in both systems.
Can nominees access items from within the app?
Yes! If a nominee has a MyDocuva account, disclosed vaults show a "View My Items" button directly on their Legacy page — no need to search for the disclosure email.
Can I link the same item to multiple vaults?
Yes. An item can be in more than one Legacy Vault. The items page shows a warning badge if an item is already linked to another vault, so you're always aware of the overlap.
What happens to unallocated items during disclosure?
Only allocated items are disclosed to nominees. Unallocated items remain in the vault but are not shared with anyone. Check your dashboard stats to see how many items are unallocated.
What can a co-owner do with the trigger?
Co-owners can check in on your behalf (resetting the inactivity timer), change trigger settings (inactivity period, reminder phase), and cancel the trigger during the grace period. The vault owner is notified whenever a co-owner changes trigger settings.
Can I add an organization as a nominee?
Yes. When creating a nominee, choose "Organization" type. You can specify the organization type (Law Firm, Charity, Financial Institution, Trust Company) and a contact person for delivery.
What happens after the vault is disclosed?
The vault becomes read-only — you can still view everything but cannot edit. Your dashboard shows which nominees have acknowledged receipt. Portal access expires after 90 days.
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