People
6 min read
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Beneficiaries & Trusted Contacts

Add the people who matter most, assign them your digital assets, and set up automated alerts so your estate plan is truly complete.

Beneficiaries vs. Trusted Contacts

Beneficiaries inherit your assets. Trusted Contacts carry out legal roles (executor, trustee, healthcare proxy). A person can be both — but they should be added in both sections.

1

Add Your Beneficiaries

Go to "Beneficiaries" in your dashboard sidebar. Click "Add Beneficiary" and fill in their name, email address, and relationship to you. You can add as many beneficiaries as you need — family members, friends, or organizations.

app.heirvana.com/dashboard

Beneficiaries

+ Add
SJ

Sarah Johnson

Spouse

MJ

Michael Johnson

Child

EJ

Emma Johnson

Child

Beneficiaries receive an email notification when access is granted
You can update beneficiary information at any time
2

Assign Vault Items

Once beneficiaries are added, you can assign specific vault items to each person. Open any beneficiary and use the "Assign Vault Items" panel. You can give full access to an account or set a percentage allocation for shared assets.

app.heirvana.com/dashboard

Inheritance Assignment

Coinbase AccountSarah JohnsonFull Access
Bitcoin WalletMichael Johnson50%
Add a personal message with each inheritance assignment
Multiple beneficiaries can share access to the same vault item
3

Add Trusted Contacts

Trusted Contacts are different from beneficiaries — they hold legal or professional roles in your estate plan. Go to "Trusted Contacts" and add your executor, healthcare proxy, power of attorney holder, trustee, or financial power of attorney. You can add their law firm or organization too.

Available roles

ExecutorHealthcare ProxyPower of AttorneyTrusteeFinancial POAGuardian
Your executor is the person who carries out your will — choose someone organized and trustworthy
A healthcare proxy makes medical decisions on your behalf if you're incapacitated
4

Set Up the Dead Man's Switch

The Dead Man's Switch automatically alerts your beneficiaries if you stop checking in for a set period of time. Go to your Beneficiaries section and find the Dead Man's Switch panel. Toggle it on, set your check-in frequency (e.g. every 90 days), and configure the inactivity trigger window.

app.heirvana.com/dashboard

Dead Man's Switch

Automatically alerts beneficiaries on inactivity

Check-in frequencyEvery 90 days
StatusActive
Last check-inToday
You'll receive email reminders to check in before the trigger fires
The switch sends alerts — it does NOT automatically grant access to accounts
Recommended inactivity window: 90–180 days

Your estate plan is complete 🎉

Once you've created your documents, filled your vault, added beneficiaries, and set up trusted contacts — your estate plan is complete. We recommend reviewing it once a year or after any major life event.