It’s a regular part of modern life. Someone buys a new Brevard County home and posts a photo-tour of the place on Facebook, right next to the pictures and proud boasting about their children and images of their adorable pets. The same sorts of sharing of adventures and triumphs goes on via Twitter and Instagram and other social media sites, of course.
But what happens to all of those photos and stories and more when the account-holder passes away? A recent Kiplinger article stresses the importance of securing your digital assets as part of the estate plan you create with a trusted attorney.
Another part of the digital landscape worth considering: the many bills and payments now taken care of online. These paperless transactions can be convenient for both the consumer and business, but where do all of those passwords, account numbers, user names and all the rest of the account management information go when the person dies?
With an updated estate plan, the digital assets a person creates are passed along so that accounts can be managed and memories preserved. Another good reason for adding digital assets to your plan: it will spare your loved ones the trouble and frustration of trying to get access to these crucial pieces of information.
You can discuss with your estate planning attorney the Florida Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act and how it helps protect your heirs and what you should do to make their lives easier. Of course, that is part of a larger conversation about how to distribute other assets such as a house, vehicles, stock holdings, savings and other valuables that you worked so hard for.
You can contact Cantwell & Goldman, PA, to discuss wills, trusts, a living will, powers of attorney and more.