Sharing During Life vs After Death

There are exactly two ways another person can ever reach what is in your vault: you share it during your life, or it is released after your death through a verified process. They work very differently, and understanding the difference is key to using the vault confidently.

Sharing during life: you are in control

Sharing during life means you, while alive and able to use your account, deliberately grant a specific person access to specific content.

Key properties:

• It is intentional. Nothing is shared by default. You choose the item and the person.
• It is visible to you. You can see what you have shared and with whom.
• It is reversible. You can revoke access while you are living and able to access your account.
• It is immediate. No waiting period applies, because you are present and consenting in real time.

This is useful for a spouse who should know where things are now, or a trusted person helping you manage affairs today.

Release after death: deliberate and verified

Posthumous release is the path for "this is for them, but only after I am gone." It does not happen automatically and it does not happen quickly, on purpose.

The process, in plain terms:

1. A claim is submitted. A person you designated, such as your executor, initiates a request for posthumous access.
2. It is verified. The claim is checked, including confirmation of death and the claimant's identity and role.
3. A waiting period applies. After a verified claim, a 45 day waiting period passes before access is granted. This pause is a safety feature, not a delay for its own sake. It guards against fraud, mistakes, and pressure during a vulnerable time, and it leaves room to stop a wrongful claim.
4. Access is granted as you specified. Only the content you designated for after death, only to the people you chose, according to your settings.

Why the two are kept separate

If posthumous access were instant, it would be the weakest point in the whole system: the easiest thing for a bad actor to exploit at the worst moment for your family. The deliberate waiting period and verification exist precisely because this access is powerful. Living sharing can be fast because you are there to oversee it. Posthumous access cannot, because you are not.

What no path can do

Neither path lets LivingWill staff read your content. The vault is encrypted with a key tied to credentials we do not hold. The posthumous process is about controlled, verified key access for the people you chose, executed through tools designed so families can decrypt offline if needed, not about us unlocking and reading your files. We never can.

Practical guidance

• Use living sharing sparingly and review it periodically.
• Designate posthumous recipients clearly so verification later is smooth.
• Tell your executor the process exists and that a waiting period applies, so the timing does not surprise them during grief.
• Keep your recovery phrase safe; it remains central to access, as explained in the security section and the audit log.