When a holder becomes unavailable, heirs often face a drawer of passwords, exchange emails, and half-finished notes. None of that explains which device unlocks which backup or who must co-sign first.
A recovery map lists operations in sequence: locate binder, confirm identity documents, contact co-signer B, retrieve envelope from site C, then initialize recovery on device D. Each step references a location or person, not secret strings.
We prepare these maps after verbal intake because writing forces holders to discover gaps—duplicate labels, outdated phone numbers, or steps that assume technical comfort heirs do not have.
Numbering matters. Heirs under pressure skip prose and look for step 4. If step 4 assumes they already completed step 2 at a bank two cities away, the map failed.
Update the map when storage sites change. A annual review appointment costs less than an emergency rewrite.