Ever Wonder What Happens to a Deceased Person’s Online Accounts After They Pass Away?

Ever wonder what happens to a deceased person’s online accounts after they pass away?

With so many people going ‘paperless’ and communicating online, the Personal Representative of a probate estate may have trouble identifying online accounts and obtaining the digital content in those accounts.  The state of Delaware recently passed a law that gives estate attorneys, executors and other fiduciaries more access to those online accounts after a person passes.  The Wall Street Journal says the Delaware law “could set a national trend” as policy makers “wrestle with how to handle the digital remains people leave behind.”  Florida may become one of the next states with similar legislation—a committee of the Florida Bar has been formed to propose such legislation.

The attorneys at Bach & Jacobs, P.A. make efforts to stay on the cutting edge of new technologies that assist our clients, including the Personal Representatives that we represent.  We recommend all trust and durable power of attorney documents specifically authorize access to this information.   We can also help you identify your digital assets and ensure that they are fully accounted for in your estate planning documents.

You can read the Wall Street Journal article here: http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2014/08/20/new-law-expands-access-to-google-facebook-accounts-of-deceased/