Frequently asked questions

A Ready File is a practical collection of the information your household relies on — contacts, document locations, insurance and benefits, household operations, children's routines, and first-step checklists. Its job is simple: move that knowledge out of one person's head so the right people can act on it.

No — and we want to be unambiguous about that. Ready File is practical organization, not professional advice of any kind. It does not replace a will, power of attorney, insurance review, or guidance from a licensed professional. Wherever a matter needs a professional, we'll point you there. See our scope page for the full picture.

No. This version of Ready File never stores sensitive documents, passwords, SINs, banking details, or medical records. A Ready File captures where things are and who to contact — not the sensitive contents. You keep those in your own secure storage. The resource portal, when it launches, will follow the same rule.

Estate planning answers legal questions — wills, powers of attorney, asset distribution. Ready File answers the practical ones: where things are, how the household runs, and what to do in the first hours and days. They're complementary. Many families find a Ready File surfaces exactly what their estate plan is missing.

The free 72-hour checklist is designed to close the biggest gaps in a single afternoon. A full Ready File is usually a few focused evenings of work, paced so it never feels overwhelming. A guided session compresses the start into 90 minutes.

Any household where one person quietly carries the operating knowledge — which is most of them. It's especially useful for busy parents, adult children helping aging parents, blended and co-parenting families, and anyone navigating a major life change.

That's exactly who it helps most. A Ready File gives the person stepping in — whether across town or across the country — the same map, so distance doesn't turn into confusion or duplicated effort.

The 72-hour checklist is free. Pricing for the DIY kit and guided sessions is being confirmed with our first pilot families, so we don't publish a number until it's final. You'll always know the cost before committing, and no payment is ever taken until a product or session is confirmed.

We never ask for sensitive documents, passwords, or financial details over email. For anything that needs protecting, we'll point you to secure channels. Our general privacy practices are on the privacy page.

Wherever your household already trusts — a physical binder, a secure note you own, or a combination. Ready File helps you decide on a storage approach as part of the process; it never insists you use a specific tool.

That's a great place to start — and for some families it's enough for a long time. Join the early-access list and we'll send it as soon as it's ready.