Comparing custody arrangements often starts with a device or service recommendation. Start a little earlier: who can authorise an action, who maintains access, and what happens when a dependency is unavailable? A responsibilities worksheet makes those questions visible before a shopping list takes over. It is a planning aid, not a recommendation to move assets or adopt a particular setup.
Name the jobs before the people
Create rows for authorising an action, maintaining software, preserving recovery instructions, reviewing access and contacting the appropriate service. Leave the person column empty at first. This prevents “I look after it” from hiding several unrelated responsibilities. A person who maintains the spreadsheet may have no authority over a wallet, and a service contact may have no ability to restore self-custody access.
Add a separate column for the instruction or agreement governing each job. In a provider-managed arrangement, that may be the service’s account and recovery documentation. In a self-managed arrangement, it may involve a particular wallet’s documented backup and recovery method. Do not substitute a general article for the instructions that apply to the actual product and setup.
Compare two fictional arrangements
In arrangement A, Lee uses a custodial service account. The worksheet records service dependencies, sign-in requirements and the provider’s process for account problems. In arrangement B, Lee uses a separate signing device with a self-managed recovery method. The worksheet records device and software dependencies, responsibility for recovery material and where the exact instructions can be found.
Neither description establishes which arrangement Lee should choose. They expose different questions. A service account can introduce provider availability and policy dependencies. A self-managed arrangement places substantial responsibility on the person maintaining it. Buying hardware does not answer who will maintain the backup, understand its format or respond when an associated device is replaced.
Record dependencies without recording secrets
Useful entries include a device type, supported operating system, backup format label, official documentation link and review date. Avoid actual private keys, recovery phrases, passwords, access codes and precise secret-storage details. A worksheet that becomes a map to sensitive material can create a new problem while trying to describe the old one.
Use neutral labels such as “primary device” or “designated document custodian” where that is enough for the planning task. Decide who may read the worksheet and which details belong in a more appropriate protected process. If the arrangement involves other people, legal authority or inheritance, use qualified help for those issues rather than treating a browser template as an agreement.
Rehearse a change, not a live recovery
Choose a fictional change: a phone replacement, an unavailable provider website, or an outdated instruction link. Ask which row would need updating and which person would notice. Record the missing instruction or unresolved responsibility. This tabletop exercise does not require moving funds, entering recovery material or testing an unfamiliar recovery tool.
Finish with an owner and review date for each unresolved item. “Check whether the documented workflow supports the replacement phone” is more useful than “improve security.” Keep completed observations separate from assumptions. If you have not performed a documented check, do not mark it verified. The value of the worksheet is its account of responsibilities and gaps, not the number of boxes that have been ticked or the price of the equipment listed beside them.
Custody Planning Workbook helps you organise your own notes in this browser. Keep credentials and recovery material out of your project.