Estate planning has always been about control. Control over what happens to your assets, your obligations, and your legacy when you are no longer able to manage them yourself. But as more of our daily life moves online, control now extends well beyond property deeds and bank statements.
Today, a significant portion of a person’s life exists digitally — and most estate plans are not built to handle it.
From online financial platforms to cloud storage and subscription services, digital assets can carry real financial value, legal consequences, and emotional weight. When they are not addressed intentionally, families are often left navigating uncertainty at precisely the worst moment. Modern estate planning requires acknowledging that reality and formulating a plan to give your successors access, control and certainty.
Here are three digital details every estate plan should include.
1. Legal Authority to Access Digital Accounts
One of the most common misconceptions is that loved ones will automatically be able to access online accounts after death. In practice, privacy laws and platform policies often prevent that. Without explicit legal authorization, even spouses may be denied access to critical accounts.
A well-drafted estate plan grants fiduciaries the authority to manage digital assets, including email accounts, financial platforms, business tools, and cloud storage. This authority is not about invading privacy – it's about ensuring that essential accounts can be accessed, closed, transferred, or preserved according to your wishes and your family’s needs.
Without it, families may face lengthy delays, inaccessibility, loss of data and loss of actual assets.
2. A Clear Record of What Exists and Where
Digital life is fragmented by design. Accounts are spread across platforms, devices, and services, many of which operate silently in the background. Over time, even the account holder may forget what exists.
An estate plan should be paired with a practical inventory of digital assets. This does not mean listing passwords in a will. Instead, it means documenting the categories of accounts you maintain, where access credentials are securely stored, and which assets hold financial, professional, or personal significance.
When this information is organized and updated, fiduciaries can act efficiently without unnecessary searching or guesswork.
3. Instructions for Preservation, Transfer, or Deletion
Not every digital asset should live on forever. Some accounts may need to be transferred, others archived, and some deleted entirely. Without guidance, families are forced to make those decisions themselves, often without knowing what you would have wanted.
Clear instructions allow you to control how your digital presence is handled. This can include preserving photo archives, closing social media accounts, transferring online businesses, or permanently deleting sensitive data. These decisions protect both your privacy and your legacy.
Estate planning is ultimately about intention. Digital planning ensures that intention extends to the parts of life that are no longer confined to paper.
As technology continues to evolve, estate plans must evolve with it. Addressing digital details is no longer an advanced consideration. It is a foundational one.
