What Happens To Your Online Accounts After Your Death?

When you pass on, it’s not just your property that is going to need to be managed. There are plenty of other things that you will need to take into account, but in today’s digital age, one of the most important is your online accounts, and presence. Nearly everyone today has social media accounts, and many people have their own websites and blogs. Additionally, many people use online services for their banking, as well as for storing their documents, photos, music, and more. You will want to make sure that all of this is managed properly before you pass on to prevent any problems.

You technically cannot leave an online account to someone in your will, as it is not property and you do not legally own it. However, you can stipulate to your executor what you would like to do with your online accounts. This is something that is very important to do, as these accounts can often contain sensitive information, which could result in financial losses or other serious problems if someone were to access them. This could also result in harm to you or your family’s reputation as well.

When making your will, you should sit down and assess all of your online accounts and what you would like to do with them. Chances are, you already have an idea for what you would like to do with some of them, but you may not have considered things like your private email account, banking information, or social media and networking accounts that you don’t use too often. Many websites have policies about what to do when their users pass on, but they likely won’t enforce them right away after your death. With social media sites, many people ask their executors to make a final post of their choosing when this happens. This also goes for blogs or online communities. Many people also choose to have certain posts, photos, or emails archived or specifically deleted.

Additionally, many people have their own websites or online stores, which will need to be managed after their passing. You might stipulate someone to take over running the store, or you may ask your executor to notify visitors of your passing and take the site down. This is all up to you. You should also decide what to do with any digital media that you have stored online. You may want certain photos deleted or archived from a cloud storage site, and you will need to go through and stipulate which ones exactly you are interested in.

Once you’ve decided what you think the best option for you would be for each online account or site, write down detailed instructions and go over them with your executor to make sure they understand. This will save them a ton of time and stress later on. Then, talk to your attorney and add these stipulations to the will. Most importantly, you should also make sure to go through and leave the login information for every online account that you have in your will. This can be anything from your Facebook account to online banking. This needs to be completely accurate, otherwise your executor will not be able to carry out your wishes.

Leaving information about your online accounts to your executor will not only save you stress and preserve your reputation upon your passing, but it can also make things much easier for your family. It will help them knowing that your wishes were carried out, plus they may get access to things that will make them happy, such as pictures or letters that are of sentimental value. Be sure to add this information to your will.