Before You Die, Secure Your Digital Life: Tips to make sure heirs can access your photos, files and passwords when you’re gone

Digital Assets in the form of photos, social media, and more should be an essential consideration in estate planning. Without proper attention, digital assets can become a burden for loved ones to deal with once you pass. 

More than simply keeping a list of passwords is required. Using a password manager, such as Bitawarden, 1Password, and LastPass, you may be able to designate a contact who can access it should you become incapacitated. 

Accounts like Apple allow the designation of a legacy contact, who can access photos, messages, notes, files, and more without knowing your password. However, other social media accounts do not offer as many options for legacy contacts. Survivors may be able to contact sites to remove a deceased person’s accounts. 

For more information see Julie Jargon “Before You Die, Secure Your Digital Life” The Wall Street Journal, April 22, 2023.

Special thanks to Joel C. Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/trusts_estates_prof/2023/04/before-you-die-secure-your-digital-life-tips-to-make-sure-heirs-can-access-your-photos-files-and-pas.html