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Your will, your deeds, your policies, your account details — kept in one encrypted place, organised around what your executor will need. Not a drawer they have to hunt through. Not a cloud folder they can't get into.
What goes in it
The documents and details your family will need. Store the originals, or simply record where each one lives — your executor knows exactly where to look either way.
A document vault is a single, secure place to keep the paperwork that proves who you are and what you own — your will, property deeds, pensions, insurance policies, account details and key contacts. Think of it as the organised version of the kitchen drawer everyone keeps important papers in, except it is encrypted, it stays up to date, and the right person can reach it when it matters. It is the practical companion to a will: the will says who inherits, the vault is where your executor actually finds everything they need to carry that out.
A drawer works right up until no one can find it, or it is lost, damaged or discovered too late. A general cloud folder like Google Drive or Dropbox is better, but it was built for sharing files day to day, not for handing your entire estate to your family after you die: access is tied to your personal login, there is no structure for an executor to follow, and if you die no one can legitimately get in. A purpose-built vault is organised around exactly what your family will need, encrypts each sensitive field, and lets you decide precisely who sees what — and when.
Start with the essentials: your will and where the signed original is kept, your Lasting Powers of Attorney, and proof-of-identity documents. Then add the money map — bank and savings accounts, pensions and life insurance with their beneficiary nominations, property deeds and mortgage details, and any investments or debts. Finally, record the everyday and digital layer: insurance and subscription accounts, and where your passwords are stored. The checklist above walks through each group. You do not need to upload every original — often it is enough to record where each document lives, so your executor knows exactly where to look.
This is where a real vault earns its place. With Beqst you nominate an executor and choose exactly what they can see and when — some things while you are alive, others released only when they need them. Nothing is exposed by accident, and nothing is locked away where no one can reach it. That controlled hand-over is the difference between a folder that helps and one that simply adds a password nobody has. You stay in control of the whole thing, and can change who sees what at any time.
Done properly, an encrypted vault is far safer than paper in a drawer or scans sitting in your email. With Beqst, every sensitive field is encrypted with AES-256 on UK-based infrastructure, access is protected by strong authentication, and you decide who can see each item. The risk with documents is rarely the technology — it is having no plan at all, so the paperwork is scattered, out of date, or impossible for your family to find. A single encrypted place, kept current, removes that risk.
These work together. A will is the legal instruction that says who inherits and names your executor, and it only takes effect after death. A death folder is the informal idea of gathering everything in one place. A document vault is the secure, living tool that actually does it — organised, encrypted, kept up to date, and shareable on your terms. The vault does not replace a valid will; it makes your will usable in practice by making sure everything it refers to can be found. This is general information, not legal advice.
Last reviewed July 2026. Beqst is a UK estate-organisation tool, not a law firm; this guide is general information, not legal advice.
Related: where to keep passwords for your family, the free death-folder checklist, and what your executor will need.
Kept safe
A vault holds your most sensitive information. With Beqst, every sensitive field is encrypted with AES-256 on UK-based infrastructure, and you decide exactly what your executor can see — and when.
Start today
Beqst keeps your will, documents, accounts and final wishes in one encrypted vault — kept current as life changes, and handed to your family on your terms. Free to start, no card required.