The importance of having a Digital Legacy
When we lose a loved one, we often find comfort in the memories they leave behind. However, with many of these memories now stored digitally, in today’s society, families are in danger of losing this precious shared history. Having access to them is so much more complicated than opening a photo album or picking a CD off the shelf.
Key takeaways
- It’s vital to leave clear instructions to loved ones when it comes to your digital legacy
- Ensure that the Executor of your estate can locate all of the log in details of your digital accounts, by storing them securely
- Appoint a Digital Executor when managing your Digital Legacy
What is a Digital Legacy?
Your Digital Legacy is essentially your personal identity online. This can include email and internet accounts of any type. For example:
- Social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc)
- Email accounts
- Bank or investment accounts
- Utility accounts
- Cloud storage accounts containing personal files
- Streaming services
- Website domain and blogs
How do I manage my Digital Legacy?
There are a number of ways you can manage your Digital Legacy:
- Make a list of all the online accounts you have and what you would like your appointed Digital Executor to do with those accounts.
- Appoint a Digital Executor. This should be someone who is tech savvy and someone who you can trust as this person will oversee the process of making sure your wishes are carried out.
- Update your Will to include your Digital Legacy.
How can I protect my Digital Legacy after I die?
You can make things easier for the Executor of your estate by considering your Digital Legacy as part of your end-of-life planning.
- Read the terms and conditions for any digital property or service closely so that you know what will happen after you die. Make enquiries with any service providers if you do not understand their policy regarding death.
- Write a list of all your digital assets, including social media, with instructions on what you would like to happen to them after you die, including details of any money that might be contained in accounts.
- Ensure that the Executor of your estate can locate all of the log-in details for your digital accounts, by storing them securely, such as on a password manager. You should never include passwords in a Will, because after you die it becomes a public document.
- Make sure that no important information is stored in an email account or other platform that the Executor of your estate might not be able to access.
This is where our Life Organiser comes in.
Life Organiser
Alongside your Will, it is vital to have a document which also lists the websites and applications that store important data about you, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, email accounts etc.
A life organiser is a document which provides an essential overview of all the information needed for your loved ones to correctly manage your affairs. It goes a long way in helping those who need to settle your affairs, or in helping you if you need to settle the affairs of others.
The pack covers:
- Personal Information
- Household information
- Working life
- Vehicles
- Finances
- Credit cards & store accounts
- Investments
- Life Insurance
- Income
- Pets
- Funeral wishes
We are often advised to regularly change our passwords which can make it tricky to keep this list up-to-date. This is where our life organiser provides a place where you can keep a record of what digital assets you have and offers advice on how to manage and close digital accounts after death.
How can we help
At Osborne Morris & Morgan, we care for our clients. Our experienced advisors are always on hand to respond to any questions and we are committed to providing long-term support.
Along with the preparation of fixed-fee Wills and life organisers, our team can provide advice on protecting your Digital Legacy. We can also advise on how to deal with someone’s affairs after they have died.
Get in touch with them team today by calling 01525 378177 or email info@ommlaw.co.uk.
