Dear friends,
Password managers and security tools are designed to be impenetrable fortresses, protecting your most sensitive information with military-grade encryption. This creates a paradox in legacy planning: the very security measures that protect you in life can permanently lock out your loved ones after death unless you plan appropriately.
Your password manager likely contains credentials for dozens or hundreds of accounts, including financial institutions, email accounts, and critical services. Without access to this vault, your family may be unable to manage your digital estate, access important accounts, or even complete basic administrative tasks after your death.
Critical challenges include master password cannot be reset or recovered by lastpass, emergency access requires setup before death to function, and waiting period (1-30 days) before emergency contact gains access. These security layers protect against unauthorized access but can also prevent legitimate access by authorized family members and estate executors.
DeathNote helps you securely document master passwords, recovery keys, 2FA backup codes, and hardware security device PINs. You can provide step-by-step instructions for accessing your password vault while ensuring this information remains encrypted and protected until properly verified death triggers delivery to your designated contacts.
Consider creating a layered access plan: emergency contacts who can access critical accounts immediately, trusted executors who receive full vault access, and detailed documentation of what's stored where. This planning ensures security during life while enabling access when needed.
Platform Overview
Primary Use
Password storage, secure notes, form fill, password generation, 2FA codes
Account Types
Free, Premium ($3/month), Families ($4/month for 6 users), Teams, Business
Data Types
Login credentials, secure notes, payment cards, bank accounts, addresses, 2FA codes, emergency access contacts
Access Challenges
- Master password cannot be reset or recovered by LastPass
- Emergency Access requires setup BEFORE death to function
- Waiting period (1-30 days) before emergency contact gains access
- Account owner can decline emergency access request (if alive)
- Free accounts have limited emergency access features
- Emergency contact needs their own LastPass account
- Zero-knowledge encryption prevents LastPass from accessing vault
Inheritance Guidance
Step 1: Set Up Emergency Access Immediately
LastPass Emergency Access is the ONLY built-in inheritance feature for password managers. Must be configured before death to work. Takes 5 minutes to set up.
Step 2: Choose Your Waiting Period Carefully
Waiting period (1-30 days) balances security vs accessibility. Longer period prevents unauthorized access if you're alive but unavailable. Shorter period provides faster access in true emergencies.
Step 3: Document Emergency Access for Your Executor
Emergency contacts must know they're designated AND how to request access. Many families discover emergency access too late because it wasn't documented.
Step 4: Store Master Password Securely
Emergency Access grants vault access, but emergency contact still needs YOUR master password to decrypt data. Zero-knowledge encryption requires both the access grant AND your password.
Step 5: Upgrade to Families Plan for Better Control
LastPass Families allows shared folders during your lifetime and better succession planning. Emergency Access alone only works after death.
Related Resources
1Password Vault Handoff
Compare LastPass's emergency access to 1Password's manual Emergency Kit approach
Bitwarden Legacy Planning
Explore Bitwarden's emergency access feature and open-source alternatives
2FA Recovery Codes Legacy
Secure 2FA backup codes stored in LastPass for account recovery
How It Works
Learn how DeathNote automates digital legacy delivery including password vaults
Email Account Handoff
Secure email credentials stored in LastPass for account access
Frequently Asked Questions
How does LastPass Emergency Access work?
Emergency Access lets you designate trusted contacts who can request access to your vault. When they request access, you receive email/push notifications and have a waiting period (1-30 days, you choose) to decline. If you don't decline within the waiting period, they gain access. If you're deceased, you can't decline, so they gain access automatically after the waiting period. This is the ONLY password manager with built-in inheritance feature.
Can my emergency contact access my vault immediately after I die?
No. They must wait for the waiting period you configured (1-30 days). This security feature prevents unauthorized access if you're alive but temporarily unavailable. However, you can manually grant immediate access at any time if needed. Plan accordingly: If you choose 30 days, your family waits 30 days after death to access passwords.
What happens if I forget my LastPass master password?
LastPass cannot reset or recover your master password due to zero-knowledge encryption. If you forget it AND don't have it written down, your vault is permanently inaccessible - even with Emergency Access configured. Your emergency contact can gain access to your account, but without the master password, the encrypted data remains locked. Always store your master password in a secure physical location.
Should I give my emergency contact View or View + Modify access?
View-only access lets them see passwords but not change or delete them (safer for estate preservation). View + Modify lets them manage the vault, change passwords, and delete items (needed for account closure). Recommended: View-only for most situations, but consider View + Modify if your emergency contact is your executor who will need to close accounts and change passwords.