Family Legacy Document Builder
Pass on more than possessions.
A quiet, guided way to write down how you think — your values, your reasoning, your encouragement — so the people you love have it in your own words.
Encrypted on your device before it's saved. Private pre-audit beta.
What this is for
Not an asset list. A record of how you think.
Families rarely struggle because they lack a spreadsheet. They struggle because they don't know why. Before I Pass helps you hand down your thinking, your values, and the encouragement you'd want them to hear.
How it works
Six gentle phases, one question at a time.
- 1
Who needs to know
The people this is for.
- 2
If I were gone tomorrow
What you'd want understood right away.
- 3
The thinking behind your decisions
Your reasoning, not the mechanics.
- 4
Guidance for the future
Your views on debt, risk, and unity.
- 5
Wisdom Worth Passing On
Books, videos and ideas that shaped how you think.
- 6
Distillation
Three ideas, and one thing to remember.
Three documents, written from your words
My Family Legacy Guide™, a Family Legacy Letters™ collection, and an Attorney / Advisor Summary — previewed, edited, and approved by you, then printed or downloaded on your device.
Pricing
Simple, one-time prices.
Before I Pass™
CAD $49
Your six-phase guided writing, personal letters to each loved one, and an advisor summary. One-time, plus tax.
Begin privatelyIncludes Before I Pass
Family Constitution Builder™
CAD $365
Write your family’s constitution in plain language and receive an executive summary plus formal articles. One-time, plus tax.
Learn morePrivate beta: online payment is not switched on yet and no card is requested.
Our privacy promise — stated accurately
Your writing stays protected.
- Your writing is encrypted on your device with a key protected by your passphrase before anything is saved.
- Your saved writing is encrypted. Our team cannot read or export it, and there is no master key.
- Your private writing is not used for marketing or emailed to others by the service.
- Honest limits: this can't protect against a compromised device, a modified version of the app, or anything you choose to share. Read our Privacy Policy.
About
Richard Canfield
Richard Canfield builds educational tools that help families understand money, planning, and each other. Before I Pass grew from a simple observation: the most valuable things a family inherits are often never written down — the reasoning, the values, the quiet lessons. This tool exists to help you write them down, calmly and privately.
Questions
Frequently asked
Is this a will?
No. Before I Pass captures intent and thinking. It does not create legal documents, give legal, tax, or estate advice, or ask about assets, balances, or account numbers. For legal structuring, consult a qualified estate attorney.
Who can read what I write?
Your saved writing is encrypted on your device. Our team cannot unlock your stored writing. See our Privacy Policy for how your information is processed and the limits of this protection.
What if I forget my passphrase?
You'll receive a printable recovery key when you set up your vault. If you lose both your passphrase and your recovery key, your private content cannot be recovered — by you or by us.
Does Before I Pass use AI?
Yes. AI-assisted writing helps turn your reflections into drafts you can review and edit. See our Privacy Policy for details about how information is processed.
How long does it take?
Most people work through it over a few sittings. It saves as you go, and you can come back anytime.