We spend so much time online whether it be on Facebook, Instagram, or even creating our own websites, it is important to start thinking about these items. We call them digital assets and how to preserve and protect them long term.
Why do you want to make sure someone has access to your digital assets upon your death?Â
The concern is if your estate plan does not include your digital assets and you do not make sure that your executor can have access to them. Then they are going to be on the web with no one managing them. What’s going to happen to your website? What’s going to happen to your Facebook account? What’s going to happen to your Instagram or anything else that you do online? You want to make sure that those accounts are then secured and that your executor handles them in accordance with your wishes.
How are my digital assets legally protected?
There are state and federal laws that have been put in place to help protect your digital assets. We make sure that our estate planning documents comply with the law and clearly outline exactly how they would be protected. And you can also discuss with us your wishes with respect to your digital assets.
How can you ensure your executor and or family have access?Â
You can ensure that your executor and your family have access to your digital assets by providing someone you trust in your family with all your passwords, passcodes, and website login information. It’s important to log all that information somewhere, probably not on a computer. You may want to have that information stored in your computer and advise them where they can access it, but you may also want to have that information written down. And I would even suggest keeping that with your Will in a safe place. It is important to update that information. We are constantly changing passwords. We’re constantly changing information, so it is quite a daunting task, but I think it’s important to make sure that your family or your executor has a generalized list and they know where they can access your digital assets in the event something was to happen.
