Legatus FAQ, including the uncomfortable questions
Legatus is a digital legacy vault that cannot read its own users' data. That design has consequences worth stating plainly: a lost passphrase is unrecoverable, a shutdown would strand server-side contents, and two colluding nominees are the model's weakest point. All ten answers below, favourable or not.
What happens to my vault if Legatus shuts down?
If Legatus shut down, vault contents stored on its servers would become unreachable. Legatus holds only ciphertext it cannot decrypt, so there is no arrangement under which a third party could take over and open vaults for you. Treat Legatus as one part of an estate plan, never the only copy of anything irreplaceable.
Does Legatus back up my vault?
No. Legatus runs on Supabase’s Free plan, which includes no automated backups and no point-in-time recovery. If the database were lost or the project suspended, vault contents could not be restored. Keep an independent copy of anything you cannot afford to lose.
What if I lose my master passphrase?
A lost master passphrase means the vault contents are permanently unrecoverable, including by Legatus. The passphrase is never transmitted or stored; it derives the encryption key inside your browser. This is a deliberate design decision — any recovery path available to Legatus would also be available to anyone who compromised Legatus.
Can Legatus read what is in my vault?
No. Legatus encrypts vault contents in your browser with AES-256-GCM before anything is transmitted, using a key derived from your passphrase with PBKDF2 at 310,000 iterations. The servers receive and store ciphertext only. Legatus never receives the passphrase and therefore holds nothing that could decrypt your vault.
Could a court order force Legatus to open my vault?
A court can compel Legatus to hand over what it holds, which is ciphertext. It cannot compel Legatus to produce a decryption key that Legatus has never possessed. This is a property of the architecture rather than a policy, which means it does not depend on Legatus resisting the request.
What if one of my nominees turns out to be dishonest?
A single nominee cannot open a Legatus vault. Release requires two of your three nominees to confirm independently, an administrator to review an uploaded death certificate, and a 72-hour hold to elapse. One compromised or dishonest nominee acting alone cannot trigger a release or read your vault.
What if two of my nominees collude against me?
Two colluding nominees are the clearest weakness in the Legatus threshold model. They could jointly confirm a transition, but they would still need to submit a death certificate that survives administrative review, and the 72-hour hold gives time for the vault owner to intervene. Choose nominees who do not share an interest.
Does naming a nominee in Legatus replace a will?
No. Naming a nominee in Legatus is not a testamentary act and does not decide who inherits anything. Indian succession law and your will determine entitlement. Legatus only determines who can technically open your vault. Anyone with meaningful assets should have a will regardless of using Legatus.
What happens if I miss a check-in?
A missed check-in alerts your nominees; it does not release your vault. Legatus asks you to confirm your presence at an interval you choose — monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly. Release still requires two-of-three nominee confirmation, administrative review of a death certificate, and the 72-hour hold.
Is Legatus really free?
Yes. Legatus is free to create and use, with no paid tier at present and no payment method required. If that changes, existing vaults would not be held hostage to a payment — but you should weigh the fact that a free service has no subscription revenue guaranteeing its continued operation.
How is a death certificate verified?
A nominee uploads a death certificate, which an administrator reviews before a vault can unlock. This is a human review of a document, not a check against a government registry, so it can be wrong in both directions. It is one of three independent gates rather than the sole safeguard.