Estate Vault FAQs

LawDepot’s Estate Vault is the best place for you to digitally store and share your estate planning documents and other important files. Once you create your documents with LawDepot, you can add them to your secure Estate Vault and invite your loved ones to have access.

Anyone looking to securely store their estate planning documents and files can create an Estate Vault. Even if you keep hard copies somewhere safe, it’s a good idea also to store your documents online. This way, if something destroys your physical copies, your digital copies remain intact.

A Shared User is a trusted family member or friend who has access to the documents and files in your Estate Vault. Once a Shared User accepts your invitation, they can view and download your documents and files. Shared Users cannot edit or alter your documents.

If something happens to you, your Shared User(s) can easily access the documents needed to act on your behalf or carry out your wishes. For example, your executor needs your Last Will to close your estate, and your appointed agent requires your Power of Attorney form to act on your behalf.

To take full advantage of your Estate Vault, you should invite at least one Shared User to access your estate planning papers. If something happens to you and no one can access your documents, it can be difficult for your loved ones to act on your behalf or close your estate.

There is no ideal number of Shared Users that you should have for your Estate Vault, as everyone’s circumstances are different. Ensure at least one trustworthy person has access to your documents and files.

No, your Shared Users cannot edit your documents. They can only view and download your documents and files.

No, you can’t limit a Shared User’s access. Once they accept your invitation, they can access all documents and files within your Estate Vault. If you don’t want a Shared User to have access to a specific document or file, you must remove it from your Estate Vault.

Yes, you can remove a Shared User or cancel a pending invitation at any time.

If the Estate Vault Owner has passed away or is incapable of acting on their own, your role as a Shared User is to access and distribute their documents and files. For instance, you may have to locate their Last Will and Testament in their Estate Vault and give it to their executor.

You become someone’s Shared User by accepting the Estate Vault Owner's invitation that they send to your email.

Yes. Creating a free LawDepot account allows you to access someone's Estate Vault files anytime, anywhere.

If you are someone’s Shared User and they pass away, we recommend that you log in to your LawDepot account and download their files. An Estate Vault remains accessible for one year following the stoppage of payments.

You can only store multiple Power of Attorney forms in your Estate Vault. Some people create multiple Powers of Attorney so different agents can manage their finances, property, and family affairs. You can assign more than one agent within a single Power of Attorney. Alternatively, you can create multiple documents and dedicate each to a specific agent and their powers.

Within your Estate Vault, you cannot store multiple Last Will and Testaments, Living Wills, End-of-Life Plans, Just-in-Case Instructions, or Personal Care Profiles. You should only have one of each type of document for yourself at a time. They should reflect your current wishes for your property, assets, and health care. Having multiple versions of these documents creates confusion about your true wishes.

Yes, you can update your documents at any time and add the most recent version to your Estate Vault. It’s good practice to review and update your documents periodically.

For example, update your Last Will and Testament if you acquire substantial assets or have a significant change in your family situation, such as having new children or grandchildren.

Absolutely. We store your documents on our secure servers, so only you and your Shared User(s) can access them by signing in to your accounts. Your other personal data, such as your credit card information, is only accessible to you.

No, do not provide your LawDepot account password to another person. Instead, invite them to access your Estate Vault as your Shared User. Shared Users have limited capabilities and cannot edit or alter your documents.

Estate Vault is available for any user with an active LawDepot subscription. Users who enjoy our Yearly, Monthly, or Free Trial Subscriptions can create an Estate Vault to store and share their documents securely.

Yes, you can create an Estate Vault using LawDepot’s Free Trial. Once the trial period ends, you must purchase a subscription to continue having full access to your Estate Vault.

If you remove a document from your Estate Vault, it will remain in My Documents. You can add it back to your Estate Vault at any time.

No, you don’t have to complete every estate planning document in your Estate Vault. However, having a complete estate plan can help your loved ones if you cannot act or advocate for yourself. For instance, without an End-of-Life Plan, your family may not know the specific ways in which you want to be memorialized.

If you cancel your subscription, your Estate Vault will be disabled, and your Shared User(s) will no longer have access to your documents.

If your payment information expires, your Estate Vault remains accessible to your Shared User(s) for one year following the stoppage of payment.