Who Should Receive Your Letters? Choosing Trustees

Who should receive your letters?

Choosing a trustee used to sound like an administrative task: someone organized to handle accounts. When what you're leaving is a letter to your son, a video for your partner, or a page of family stories, the question becomes more personal. Who should receive this, and who will pass it on with care?

In MemoryShield, named trustees are the people you choose to receive specific items from your vault. They have no access while you keep answering your email check-ins. They receive only what you designated for them, and only after the release process completes.

What makes a good trustee for letters and videos

Closeness. Someone who knows the people your letters are for, and will hand them over gently.
Judgment. If you've labeled a letter "for when you're older," your trustee decides when that moment comes. MemoryShield doesn't schedule delivery.
Reliability. Someone likely to be reachable, with an email address that won't change often.
Willingness. Ask them. Receiving a loved one's letters can be emotional; some people will be honored, others may prefer not to.
Discretion. Some letters are for one person only.

Practical considerations

For letters to young children, pick the adult who will be close to them, often a partner, a sibling, or the person you'd want as a guardian.
Different trustees for different items. You can give each letter or video to a different person.
Name a second person where your plan allows. Plans differ in how many trustees you can name: Free includes 1 trustee, Premium up to 5.
Your trustee doesn't have to be your executor. An executor handles legal matters; a trustee receives the items you set aside. See Executor vs digital trustee.

How release works

Trustees are invited and accept the role. Naming someone doesn't unlock anything.

Here is what happens if you stop answering your email check-ins. Nothing is released because of one missed email. First there's extended monitoring: more check-ins, more time. Then your backup contact is notified; they can't see your vault. Then there's a waiting period. Only after all of that do your verified trustees receive the items you designated for them. MemoryShield doesn't certify death and has no death-certificate, legal or medical review step. Full walkthrough: How an email life-check and verification work before vault release.

Your backup contact is different

A backup contact is notified during verification, as one of the steps before release. They can't see your vault and don't receive items. Choose someone who would know whether you're OK, such as a neighbor, a sibling or a close friend.

Talking to your trustee

A short conversation is enough:

"I've written some letters for the kids. If anything ever happened, I'd like you to be the one who receives them."
"You won't see anything unless I stop answering my check-in emails and a few verification steps complete."
"Would you be OK with that?"

Review once a year

Relationships change: births, moves, divorces, losses. Revisit your trustees each year, and after big life events.

A quiet note on security: your vault is encrypted at rest (AES-256), with escrowed keys so release can work after verification; not zero-knowledge. Item-level encryption is opt-in: you can turn it on for an item, and it's off unless you do. MemoryShield isn't a password manager or a will, and it can't open anyone's other accounts. How security works.

Education only, not legal advice.

Start on the Free plan ($0)

Write the letter, then choose the one person you'd trust to receive it. You can add more trustees later.

Start on the Free plan ($0). No card required. The Free plan holds up to 5 items and 1 trustee. If you later want more room, Premium is $9.99/mo or $99/yr (up to 200 items and 5 trustees); paid plans have a 30-day trial and need a card or PayPal at checkout.

Security: https://memoryshield.life/security · Plans: https://memoryshield.life/public-pricing · Support: support@memoryshield.life

Who should receive your letters?

What makes a good trustee for letters and videos

Closeness. Someone who knows the people your letters are for, and will hand them over gently.

Judgment. If you've labeled a letter "for when you're older," your trustee decides when that moment comes. MemoryShield doesn't schedule delivery.

Reliability. Someone likely to be reachable, with an email address that won't change often.

Willingness. Ask them. Receiving a loved one's letters can be emotional; some people will be honored, others may prefer not to.

Discretion. Some letters are for one person only.

Practical considerations

For letters to young children, pick the adult who will be close to them, often a partner, a sibling, or the person you'd want as a guardian.

Different trustees for different items. You can give each letter or video to a different person.

Name a second person where your plan allows. Plans differ in how many trustees you can name: Free includes 1 trustee, Premium up to 5.

Your trustee doesn't have to be your executor. An executor handles legal matters; a trustee receives the items you set aside. See Executor vs digital trustee.