Your executor and your heirs are likely to run into trouble if you don’t have a digital estate plan, advises a recent Morningstar article, “Do You Have a Plan for Your Digital ‘Estate’?”
The article reminds us that not every aspect of an estate will be addressed quickly, even six months later. This includes questions about how to handle the files on the deceased’s computer or the stuff on their smartphone. Their social media accounts are likely still to be up and running.
Many people who think they’ve checked all of the right boxes on their estate-planning to-do lists, may have overlooked the proper management and orderly transfer of their digital assets after they die or become disabled. Digital estate planning includes all of your digital possessions, such as computers and smartphones, stored data (on your devices or in the cloud) and online accounts like Facebook and LinkedIn. You should include your digital assets in your estate plan. You should state who should get the data and if there are things you don’t want others to have. Here are some first steps:
First, sit down and conduct a mental digital fire drill. This will jog your memory about which digital assets you deem important. Write down your answers as you consider the following questions:
- What valuable items would you lose, if your PC or other device was lost or stolen?
- If you’re in an accident, would your family be able to access your significant digital information?
- If you died today, what digital property would you like your loved ones to have access to?
Next, review your inventory of the digital assets you named during the fire drill. Write down user names and passwords. Your digital inventory may include digital devices, data-storage devices or media, electronically stored data, social media accounts, domain names and intellectual property in electronic format. Keep this document safe.
You may want to keep an electronic list of digital property and passwords. Protect it with strong encryption, a strong password, and back it up in the cloud (not on your computer and smartphone). Create a master password for the electronic list, store the password in a safe deposit box or home safe and give your fiduciary instructions on accessing it.
You’ll also want to formally designate a digital executor so that someone will make sure that your digital assets are managed according to your wishes. You may need to provide this person with a special power or authorization to deal with certain digital assets, like cryptocurrency. Be sure that your will includes a list of specific digital assets and what you want them to do on your behalf.
For Facebook users, note that you can go to your general account settings, and within those there is a manage account setting where you can designate another Facebook user to be your legacy contact, the person who will manage your account after you pass away. This gives them the ability, upon your death, to do things like pin a post on your timeline, respond to new friend requests and update your profile picture. They will not post as you or see your messages. Instead of having a legacy contact, you have the options of requesting your account be deleted upon your death. Before making the decision of what happens to with your Facebook account, you will want to talk to your family and your estate planning attorney.
For more information on ensuring your estate plan is comprehensive, explore our website and contact us to schedule your consultation today!
Reference: Morningstar (December 15, 2017) “Do You Have a Plan for Your Digital ‘Estate’?”
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