Your Digital Legacy

Aileen Hirst, Solicitor in our Wills and Estates team, asks “have you preserved your digital legacy?

When deciding what provisions to include in your Will, thoughts usually turn to who to appoint as your executors and what assets you want to leave to family or friends.

It is important however not to forget your digital legacy.  This is your online presence, including email accounts, social media profiles, music and photo libraries, as well as online shopping accounts.  These can be very personal and you would want to ensure that they can be dealt with properly and sensitively when you pass away.

The biggest problem facing your executors or family is being able to access your accounts, which are often password protected.  It is advisable not to disclose your passwords to another person.  However, these accounts may hold sensitive bank information along with your personal details. Subscriptions unknown to your executors may continue after your death until at least your bank account has been frozen.

As digital assets are still relatively new, service providers have not adopted a uniform policy to deal with these on death.  It is therefore advisable to review the individual policies of services you use to see what action can be taken to close the accounts.  Preparing a schedule of your online assets and holding it with your Will would assist your executors when dealing with your estate.  You should also give some thought to whether you would like your social media page turned into a memorial page.

Planning for your digital legacy will make dealing with your estate a lot easier for your family.

If you have any questions about this or any other matters relating to making a Will or planning ahead, please contact our Wills & Estates Team  on 01206 574431 or by email on info@tsplegal.com.