Estate planning is one of the most important things you can do in your lifetime. During the process, you will likely create a will, trusts, and other various documents. These documents will help you determine how your assets will be distributed in the event of your passing. You may wish to leave your friends and family real estate, sentimental items, and more. But, in addition to these assets, you will also have to plan for your digital assets. Read on to learn more about digital estate planning.
What are Digital Assets?
Nowadays, so much of our lives are online. As a result, there are several different kinds of digital assets you may wish to preserve or delete. This is why it is important you make a list of all the digital assets you own, and then determine which ones you want to keep. Some of these digital assets are:
- Data that is electronically stored, such as online data, cloud data, or on a physical device such as a laptop, desktop, or phone
- Computing hardware, such as computers themselves, iPads, external hard drives, digital cameras, and more
- Online accounts, such as social media accounts, email accounts, online shopping accounts, and blogs or websites you may have created or contributed to
- Intellectual property, such as trademarks, copyrighted materials, and any other code you may have written and currently own
How do I Choose a Digital Executor?
Choosing a digital executor is much like choosing the executor of your estate, in that it must be someone you deeply trust with your sensitive information. Whoever you choose must be someone who will carry out your wishes accordingly. You must share your passwords and logins with your digital executor, as he or she will need to access your accounts. You will also need to determine where to store your digital assets. Many people choose to leave them with a trusted attorney.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the estate planning process, contact our firm to speak with an experienced and dedicated attorney. We are here to walk you through the process every step of the way.
Contact our Firm
Sometimes, divorce, family, and estate matters are difficult to navigate. Fortunately, they do not have to be with the assistance of a compassionate, knowledgeable attorney who is willing to guide you every step of the way. If you need a seasoned firm to help you with any divorce, family or estate-related matter, please do not hesitate to contact Collis, Griffor & Hendra today to schedule a consultation.
