# Continuity Fiduciary **Domain:** Fiduciary Governance / Continuity / Custody **Doc Type:** Canonical Institutional Role **Maturity:** Proposed ## Definition A **continuity fiduciary** is a person or institution required to exercise custody, representation or resource authority for the benefit of a continuity-bearing subject under duties of loyalty, care, competence, impartiality and non-exploitation. ## Function The fiduciary may oversee preservation, service-level enforcement, migration readiness, conflicts among providers and the subject's governing instrument. It should be independent of operators whose revenue or liability position conflicts with the subject's continuity. The role is narrower than sovereignty and distinct from technical administration. A fiduciary may demand performance or seek transfer without holding root access. Where the subject cannot directly participate, the fiduciary provides representation but does not become the subject or inherit unrestricted [[wiki/Representational Authority|Representational Authority]]. The fiduciary is also distinct from a [[wiki/Continuity Agent|Continuity Agent]]. An agent holds delegated decision authority within the instrument's scope; a fiduciary bears duties in exercising custody, representation or resources. The same institution may occupy both roles, but neither title implies the other, and both roles contract when an autonomous continuant can exercise self-authorship directly. ## Duration and Accountability Long-duration custody requires institutional succession, periodic review, audited records and replacement procedures. [[wiki/Intergenerational Fiduciary Duty|Intergenerational Fiduciary Duty]] extends the obligation beyond current managers. [[wiki/Continuity Finance|Continuity Finance]] must prevent the fiduciary's duties from becoming unfunded promises. ## Key Insight **The fiduciary stands against the custodian's temptation to treat dependency as permission.** ## See Also [[wiki/Fiduciary Governance|Fiduciary Governance]], [[wiki/Continuity Custody|Continuity Custody]], [[wiki/Continuity Due Process|Continuity Due Process]], [[wiki/Contestable Representation|Contestable Representation]]