The First 72 Hours
Written for the person who opens the plan. The first days are for people, not paperwork — almost everything that feels urgent can wait. This guide separates the few things that can't.
First: nothing is on fire
Take your time. There is no rush. Money in accounts stays in accounts. Bitcoin on a hardware wallet is safer untouched than moved in a hurry. The plan was built so that waiting is safe — waiting is the plan working.
Day one — people only
- Be with your family. That's the whole list.
- If you must do one practical thing: call the one person the plan names as your first call. Not a bank, not a lawyer, not an exchange — a person who knew this plan exists.
Day two — the paper that has a clock on it
- Death certificate — order several official copies (banks, insurers, and registries each want their own). This is the one document everything else waits for.
- The employer (if any) — one call; ask about pending salary and insurance through work.
- The funeral wishes — the plan records them so you don't have to guess.
Day three — find, don't act
- Locate the documents the plan points to: the will, insurance policies, the safe, the keys. Finding is enough. Nothing needs to be opened, claimed, sold, or transferred this week.
- Make a simple list of recurring bills (rent, utilities, phone) — they're paid from the usual account for now; automatic payments keep working.
What NOT to do in the first weeks
- Don't move Bitcoin or any crypto. Not to "keep it safe", not because someone offers to help. It is safest exactly where it is. When the time comes, the plan's crypto guide and the named helper do it together, slowly.
- Don't announce anything on social media before accounts and homes are secured — grief attracts predators.
- Don't sign anything a company or "adviser" urges you to sign quickly. Legitimate matters allow weeks.
- Don't pay anyone who contacts YOU first about the estate, taxes, or "unlocking funds". Nobody legitimate asks for passwords, codes, or seed words. Ever.
When you're ready
The rest of the plan is organized so you can go at your own pace: who helps with what, where everything lives, and step-by-step guides for each part. One thing per day is plenty. You are doing fine.