Family continuity
Your annual self-custody review checklist
By Jolly Ledger editorial · Published · Reviewed · 4 min read
Short answer
Review what changed, whether recovery requirements remain available and whether your family can find the current instructions. Start with records and a tabletop walkthrough, not resets, secret sharing or unnecessary transactions.
A self-custody setup can become outdated without anything breaking. You replace a phone, move a backup, change a passphrase or lose touch with a designated helper. An annual review is a chance to reconcile those changes while you can still explain them. It is not a test that requires moving assets.
Begin with what changed
Compare the current arrangement with last year’s record. Note new or retired wallets, devices, applications, networks and accounts. Keep the record proportionate and protected: a useful inventory does not need to become a broadly shared list of balances, addresses and secret locations.
The annual review
- Confirm which wallets remain in use and what each label means.
- Check that devices and required accessories are available.
- Review backup condition, storage access and known recovery dependencies.
- Confirm whether passphrases, backup shares or multiple signers are involved.
- Check official software and firmware notices for the relevant models.
- Verify family contacts and the location of current instructions.
- Identify obsolete instructions and conflicting copies.
- Record unresolved questions, responsible people and follow-up dates.
Review recovery without creating a new exposure
Start with a tabletop exercise: describe what would happen if the main device stopped working. Can you identify the right backup format and every additional requirement? Do not reset a working wallet as the opening move. Our recovery rehearsal guide focuses on planning before any operational test.
Where an official backup-check feature is appropriate, follow the instructions for the exact model. Trezor’s Safe 5 guide describes one such feature; it is not a procedure for every wallet. Never upload recovery words to a website or send them to a helper as evidence that your backup is complete.
Pay particular attention to passphrases. Trezor explains that a different passphrase generates a different wallet. Your review should establish that the required secret is preserved through the intended controlled process, not that you can still vaguely remember it.
Check the human handoff
Ask the intended reader to find the overview and identify the first contact. Confirm that the contact is still willing and available. Review changes in family circumstances, residence or responsibilities with an appropriate adviser where needed. A family emergency plan must remain understandable to the people expected to use it.
Separate maintenance from incident response
An outdated app, failed connection or unexpected message does not establish key compromise. Record the observation and consult independently located official support. If recovery material was actually disclosed, seek the vendor’s official exposure guidance promptly. Do not improvise a reset or transaction sequence.
Schedule maintenance separately using the firmware-update preparation guide. Finish by dating the review and assigning each open task. Repeat sooner after major changes; the annual date is a reminder, not a reason to leave a known gap unresolved.
Sources
- Check wallet backup on Trezor Safe 5 — TrezorExample of a model-specific checking function, not universal instructions.
- Passphrase FAQ: What every passphrase user should know — Trezor
Reported facts are attributed to their sources. Spotted an error? Read our corrections approach.
Leave instructions your family can actually use
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