If something happens, the family knows where everything is
Without setup, families often cannot get into a parent's phone, photos or email even with a death certificate, and nobody knows which bills are on autopay or who the doctors are. Just-in-Case Binder is one friendly video call with your parent: we turn on Apple Legacy Contact and Google Inactive Account Manager with them, and fill in a family binder of accounts, bills, insurance, doctors and documents. We never ask for or store a password.
- Apple Legacy Contact, Google Inactive Account Manager and Facebook legacy contact turned on together, with the family members your parent chooses.
- A printable binder and a shared digital copy listing accounts, autopays, insurance, doctors, medications and where important papers are kept.
- Passwords stay with your parent: we help set up a password manager's emergency access instead of writing passwords down.
Neither Apple's Legacy Contact nor Google's Inactive Account Manager is enabled by default; without setup, family members may be unable to access the accounts even with a death certificate.
Source: cybershack.com.auGoogle's policy is to delete an account after 2 years of inactivity unless Inactive Account Manager has been set up to share or keep data.
Source: maketecheasier.comA will doesn't open a phone, and nobody knows where the insurance papers are
When a parent falls ill or dies, families discover how much of life now sits behind a passcode: photos, messages, email with every bill, the doctor's portal. Apple and Google both offer ways to pass access to a trusted person, but neither is switched on by default, and without them the family may be locked out for good.
The paper side is just as hard: which bank accounts exist, which bills come off which card, who the pharmacist is, where the house deeds are. Adult children piece it together during the worst week of their lives.
It takes about an hour to prepare, with a parent who is well and in a good mood. Just-in-Case Binder makes that hour happen, guided by someone patient who isn't family, which is often what makes the conversation easier.
Without it
- Doing it with your parent yourself: Free, and the right choice if it's easy between you. Apple and Google both publish the steps. Many families find it's…
- Estate-planning lawyers: Essential for wills, powers of attorney and anything legal, and some include a digital-assets clause. They usually…
- Fill-in-the-blank planners: Books and templates for family information are cheap and useful. They don't switch on the legacy settings, and many…
With Just-in-Case Binder
- Apple Legacy Contact, Google Inactive Account Manager and Facebook legacy contact turned on together, with the family members your parent chooses.
- A printable binder and a shared digital copy listing accounts, autopays, insurance, doctors, medications and where important papers are kept.
- Passwords stay with your parent: we help set up a password manager's emergency access instead of writing passwords down.
- Apple Legacy Contact
- Google Inactive Account Manager
How it works
- 1
Book a call that suits your parent
A 60-minute video or phone call at a time that works for them, with you joining if you like. We send a short checklist of what to have nearby.
- 2
Legacy access switched on
Together with your parent, on their own phone and computer: Apple Legacy Contact, Google Inactive Account Manager and Facebook legacy contact, with the people they choose.
- 3
The binder filled in
We ask the questions and write it down: accounts, autopays, insurance, pension, doctors, medications, keys, and where the will and deeds are kept. Never passwords.
- 4
Copies to the family
A printable binder for your parent's drawer and a shared digital copy for the people they chose, plus a reminder to update it every year.
Features
Apple Legacy Contact
Set up on your parent's iPhone with the people they choose, who receive the access key they would need to request the data after death.
Google Inactive Account Manager
Inactivity period, trusted contacts and which data each person receives, chosen with your parent and set in their Google account.
Social media legacy settings
Facebook legacy contact or memorialization preferences, and what your parent wants done with other accounts.
Password manager emergency access
If your parent uses a password manager, we help turn on its emergency-access feature; if not, we help them choose a simple one. We never see the passwords.
The family binder
Bank and pension accounts, autopays and which card they use, insurance policies, utilities, doctors, pharmacy, medications, advisers and where originals are kept.
Printable and shared copies
A large-print printed binder and a shared document for the family, with an 'in an emergency, start here' first page.
Yearly refresh reminder
A reminder each year to review the binder and legacy contacts, with a short call included on the Family plan.
A look inside
What you get: the working view and the delivery report.
Who it's for
Adult children of aging parents
You want this in place, but the conversation is awkward and your parent prefers not to do it with you looking over their shoulder.
Older adults planning ahead
You want to make things easier for your family without handing over your passwords or your privacy.
Couples and families after a health scare
A diagnosis or a fall makes it urgent; one call puts the essentials in order quickly.
Works with
- Apple Legacy Contact (iPhone, iPad, Mac)
- Google Inactive Account Manager
- Facebook legacy contact
- Emergency access in common password managers
- Printable binder (PDF)
- Shared family document (Google Docs or Word)
Pricing
One-time prices, paid once after we confirm the call time. No subscription. We never collect passwords, codes or account logins.
Binder
$29 one-time
One parent, one guided call
- 60-minute guided call
- Apple and Google legacy access set up
- Family binder filled in
- Printable and shared copies
- Yearly reminder
Family
$59 one-time
Both parents, with a refresh next year
- Two guided calls (one per parent, or together)
- Everything in Binder for each parent
- Social media legacy settings
- Password manager emergency access
- Refresh call after 12 months
Full set-up
$99 one-time
When things are urgent or complicated
- Up to 3 calls in the same week
- Everything in Family
- Help with patient-portal and pharmacy access for a nominated family member
- Contact list for advisers, landlord and neighbors
- Priority scheduling within 2 business days
Compared with the alternatives
- Doing it with your parent yourself
- Free, and the right choice if it's easy between you. Apple and Google both publish the steps. Many families find it's the conversation, not the settings, that gets postponed.
- Estate-planning lawyers
- Essential for wills, powers of attorney and anything legal, and some include a digital-assets clause. They usually don't sit with your parent to change phone settings.
- Fill-in-the-blank planners
- Books and templates for family information are cheap and useful. They don't switch on the legacy settings, and many stay half-filled in a drawer.
What changed
- Neither Apple's Legacy Contact nor Google's Inactive Account Manager is enabled by default; without setup, family members may be unable to access the accounts even with a death certificate. Source: cybershack.com.au
- Google's policy is to delete an account after 2 years of inactivity unless Inactive Account Manager has been set up to share or keep data. Source: maketecheasier.com
From request to binder
We confirm a call time within one business day and deliver the binder within 2 business days of the call.
- Day 1: Request the service and suggest a few call times that suit your parent.
- Day 2: Short checklist sent so the right papers are nearby.
- Call day: 60 minutes to switch on legacy access and fill in the binder.
- Day after: Printable binder and shared copy sent to the people your parent chose.
Security and data
- No passwords, codes or logins are collected, written in the binder or stored by us.
- Settings are changed by your parent on their own devices, with us guiding by video or phone.
- Working notes are encrypted and deleted 30 days after the binder is delivered.
- The binder is shared only with the people your parent names.
Questions
Do you see or store any passwords?
No. Your parent types anything sensitive on their own device. The binder lists accounts and where things are, never passwords or codes. For passwords we set up a password manager's emergency access.
Does my parent need to be good with technology?
No. We go at their pace and do the explaining. If they use an iPhone or a Google account, we set up the legacy features on the call; if not, we focus on the binder.
Is this a replacement for a will or power of attorney?
No. Those are legal documents for a lawyer or notary. The binder records where they are kept and who to contact, which makes them easier to use.
Can I join the call?
Yes, if your parent wants you there. Some parents prefer to do it alone and share the binder afterwards; both work.
Who gets a copy of the binder?
Only the people your parent chooses. We delete our working notes 30 days after delivery and keep nothing else.
What if my parent uses Android and Gmail?
That's covered: Google Inactive Account Manager works for Gmail, Google Photos and Drive regardless of the phone. Apple Legacy Contact is only for Apple accounts.
Ready when you are
Tell us about your setup. We confirm by email and get you running within 2 business days.
Request service