§ Frequently asked

Questions real families ask.

Answered plainly. If yours isn't here, write to hello@vestry.io — a human will reply within a day.

Getting started

Do I need to be a certain age?+

No. The youngest useful moment to start a vestry is the moment anyone depends on you — a child, a partner, a parent, a pet. Many of our early members are in their thirties.

What if I don't have a will yet?+

Most people don't. The Plan Builder walks you through a draft for your state. A Vestry-partnered attorney then reviews it before it becomes final — the review is included in Household and Legacy plans.

How long does it take to set up?+

The first useful pass is about 40 minutes. You don't have to do it all at once — Vestry saves on every keystroke and emails you where you left off. Most households finish over three or four evenings.

Privacy & access

Can Vestry read my documents?+

No. Your documents are encrypted on your device before they reach our servers. We hold ciphertext only. If you lose your recovery kit, we cannot help you read your vault — that's the tradeoff for real privacy.

Who else can see what's in my vault?+

Nobody, unless you invite them. Stewards see only the rooms you've shared with them, only under the conditions you've set, and every view is logged. See Sharing & Stewardship.

What if Vestry gets subpoenaed?+

We can only hand over what we have: encrypted blobs. We cannot decrypt your documents. We publish a quarterly transparency report so you can see exactly how many requests we receive and how we respond.

Stewards & family

What happens when I pass away?+

Your stewards are notified. Each one receives access only to the rooms you assigned them. They can see your wishes, your letters, your documents — whatever you chose. Vestry is free for stewards acting in crisis, forever.

Can I change my stewards later?+

Any time. You can also set per-steward expirations, partial access, and "on-trigger" rules that only unlock on specific events (e.g., hospitalization, death, 30 days of inactivity).

Will my family know how to use it?+

Yes. Every steward receives a printed letter explaining what you've asked of them, what they'll be able to see, and how Vestry works. Their first login is guided, not cold.

Money & cancellation

What if I cancel?+

Your documents are yours. You can export everything as encrypted PDFs and a plain-text register, at any time, before or after cancellation. Nothing is held hostage.

Will the price go up later?+

Not for existing members. If we raise prices, it's only for new signups — your rate is the rate you joined at, as long as you stay a member.

Is this legal advice?+

Vestry is not a law firm. The Plan Builder produces drafts that are then reviewed by licensed attorneys in our partner network. The attorney review — included in Household and Legacy plans — is where legal advice happens.

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