diff --git a/earthsnake/path.py b/earthsnake/path.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ba2d608
--- /dev/null
+++ b/earthsnake/path.py
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+"""Path handling"""
+
+from .identity import Identity
+from .types import ALPHA_LOWER, ALPHA_UPPER, DIGIT
+
+PATH_PUNCTUATION = "/'()-._~!$&+,:=@%"
+PATH_CHARACTER = ALPHA_LOWER + ALPHA_UPPER + DIGIT + PATH_PUNCTUATION
+
+
+class Path:
+    """A document path"""
+
+    _SEGMENT_PATTERN = f'/[{PATH_CHARACTER}]+'
+    _PATTERN = f'^({_SEGMENT_PATTERN})+$'
+
+    def __init__(self, path: str) -> None:
+        self.validate(path, allow_ephemeral=True)
+        self.path = path
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def validate(path: str, allow_ephemeral: bool = False) -> None:
+        """Validate a path"""
+
+        if not 2 <= len(path) <= 512:
+            raise ValueError('Path length must be between 2 and 512')
+
+        if not path.startswith('/'):
+            raise ValueError('Paths must start with a /')
+
+        if path.endswith('/'):
+            raise ValueError('Paths must not end with a /')
+
+        if path.startswith('/@'):
+            raise ValueError('Paths must not start with /@')
+
+        if '//' in path:
+            raise ValueError('Paths must not contain //')
+
+        if path.count('!') > 1:
+            raise ValueError('Only one ! is allowed in paths')
+
+        if '!' in path and not allow_ephemeral:
+            raise ValueError('Only ephemeral paths may contain !')
+
+    @property
+    def is_shared(self) -> bool:
+        """Check if the path is shared"""
+
+        return '~' not in self.path
+
+    @property
+    def is_ephemeral(self) -> bool:
+        """Check if the path is ephemeral"""
+
+        return '!' in self.path
+
+    def can_write(self, author: Identity) -> bool:
+        """Check if a specific author has write access over a document"""
+
+        if self.is_shared:
+            return True
+
+        segments = self.path.split('/')
+
+        for segment in segments:
+            for allowed_author in segment.split('~'):
+                if Identity.valid_address(allowed_author) and str(author) == allowed_author:
+                    return True
+
+        return False
diff --git a/earthsnake/types.py b/earthsnake/types.py
index e873e28..27c696e 100644
--- a/earthsnake/types.py
+++ b/earthsnake/types.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 """
 
 ALPHA_LOWER = 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz'
+ALPHA_UPPER = 'ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ'
 DIGIT = '0123456789'
 B32_CHAR = ALPHA_LOWER + '234567'
 ALPHA_LOWER_OR_DIGIT = ALPHA_LOWER + DIGIT
diff --git a/tests/test_path.py b/tests/test_path.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..89f2531
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_path.py
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+"""Tests for path handling
+"""
+
+import pytest
+
+from earthsnake.identity import Identity
+from earthsnake.path import Path
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    'path,error_msg',
+    [
+        pytest.param('/', 'Path length must be between 2 and 512', id='short'),
+        pytest.param('/' + 'a' * 512, 'Path length must be between 2 and 512', id='long'),
+        pytest.param('badstart', 'Paths must start with a /', id='no_slash_start'),
+        pytest.param('/@atstart', 'Paths must not start with /@', id='slashat_start'),
+        pytest.param('/double//slash', 'Paths must not contain //', id='double_slash'),
+        pytest.param('/multiple!excl!', 'Only one ! is allowed in paths', id='multi_excl'),
+        pytest.param('/test/', 'Paths must not end with a /', id='trailing_slash'),
+    ],
+)
+def test_invalid(path: str, error_msg: str) -> None:
+    """Test if validation fails for invalid paths"""
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ctx:
+        Path.validate(path)
+
+    assert error_msg in str(ctx.value)
+
+
+def test_invalid_non_ephemeral() -> None:
+    """Test validating ephemeral paths when ephemeral is not allowed"""
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ctx:
+        Path.validate('/ephemeral!')
+
+    assert 'Only ephemeral paths may contain !' in str(ctx.value)
+
+
+def test_validate_ephemeral() -> None:
+    """Test validation of ephemeral paths"""
+
+    assert Path.validate('/ephemeral!', allow_ephemeral=True) is None
+
+
+def test_is_ephemeral() -> None:
+    """Test the is_ephemeral property"""
+
+    assert Path('/ephemeral!').is_ephemeral
+    assert not Path('/non-ephemeral').is_ephemeral
+
+
+def test_is_shared() -> None:
+    """Test the is_shared property"""
+
+    assert Path('/test').is_shared
+    assert not Path('/test/~').is_shared
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    'author,path,allowed',
+    [
+        pytest.param(
+            '@test.bcz76z52y5dlpohtkmpuj3jsdcvfmebzpcgfmtmhu4u7hlexzreya',
+            '/test',
+            True,
+            id='shared',
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            '@test.bcz76z52y5dlpohtkmpuj3jsdcvfmebzpcgfmtmhu4u7hlexzreya',
+            '/test/~@test.bcz76z52y5dlpohtkmpuj3jsdcvfmebzpcgfmtmhu4u7hlexzreya',
+            True,
+            id='allowed',
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            '@test.bcz76z52y5dlpohtkmpuj3jsdcvfmebzpcgfmtmhu4u7hlexzreya',
+            '/test/~@abob.bcz76z52y5dlpohtkmpuj3jsdcvfmebzpcgfmtmhu4u7hlexzreya',
+            False,
+            id='someone_else',
+        ),
+        pytest.param(
+            '@test.bcz76z52y5dlpohtkmpuj3jsdcvfmebzpcgfmtmhu4u7hlexzreya',
+            '/test/~',
+            False,
+            id='strictly_forbidden',
+        ),
+    ],
+)
+def test_can_write(author: str, path: str, allowed: bool) -> None:
+    """Test the can_write method"""
+
+    path_obj = Path(path)
+    identity = Identity.from_address(author)
+
+    assert path_obj.can_write(identity) is allowed