The Recoverability Self-Assessment

Could your family find what it needs — without you?

Before you begin: do not approach this quiz with the goal of perfection. Recoverability is not achieved through paperwork alone. It is revealed through clarity of mind. Answer each question as if disruption occurred tomorrow. Not someday — tomorrow. If your system relies on memory, assumption, or informal understanding, mark it uncertain. Clarity, not optimism, defines recoverability.

The interactive version of this assessment needs JavaScript. The questions below are the complete instrument — answer them on paper and count the negatives: 0–2 means Recoverable, 3–5 Developing, 6 or more Emerging. (For questions 4, 5, 7, and 9, "Yes" is the negative answer; everywhere else, "No" is. "Uncertain" always counts as negative.)

Question 1 of 11

I. Discoverability

If the primary organizer were unavailable tomorrow, could another adult locate a clear list of:

Major accounts
Legal documents
Key financial relationships
Critical digital platforms

Could your family find what it needs — without you?

If the primary organizer were unavailable tomorrow, could another adult locate a clear list of:

Is there a single orientation document that explains where everything begins?

Is there a clear distinction between:

Would sharing the orientation document compromise sensitive access?

Does any single device, password, person, or platform represent a complete point of failure?

Are critical materials stored in more than one secure location?

Could the loss of one physical location or one digital account permanently block access?

Do designated family members know:

Would heirs encounter this structure for the first time during a crisis?

Has the system been reviewed within the past 12 months? Is there a defined review interval?

When accounts, passwords, or relationships change, is the system updated?