Protecting your digital estate

People often think about houses, savings and heirlooms but don’t have a plan for the photos that hold a thousand moments, the messages they want to keep, and the accounts that pay for daily life.

Digital Assets
Digital Assets

Clear access. Proper authority. No loose ends.

When a family gathers after a death or a loss of capacity, the first question is simple – who can get in. Photos that tell a life story. Email that holds vital confirmations. Investment and pension portals. Cloud storage. 2FA codes on a phone that no one can unlock. Value and memories can stall behind screens.

Treat your digital footprint like any other asset. Name who steps in. Set out what they can do. Align platform tools with your will and LPAs so executors and attorneys can act with confidence. For households with multiple devices, authenticator apps, and shared cloud storage, foresight prevents the standstill that so often follows.

What to put in place

  • A concise register of key accounts and assets – banking, investments, pensions, crypto or exchanges, photo libraries, subscriptions, business systems, websites and domain registrars
  • Clear wishes for each platform – retain as a memorial, delete, transfer, or archive
  • Named people with authority – reflected in your will and LPAs, and known to executors, attorneys and trustees
  • Platform settings that match your plan – Apple Legacy Contact, Google Inactive Account Manager, and equivalents
  • Secure credentials – a reputable password manager with emergency access enabled or sealed instructions held safely

Where families stumble

  • No record of accounts, devices or 2FA methods
  • Conflicting instructions between platform settings and the will
  • Assets in cloud, exchanges or self custody that no one can locate or lawfully access

How we help

Our role is to bring order. We align the legal documents, platform choices and practical handover so your executors and attorneys can carry out your wishes and protect value. Where there are overseas accounts or business systems, we coordinate local advice and make sure everything works together.

The story that matters to families

People often think about houses, savings and heirlooms. Families think about the photos that hold a thousand moments, the messages they want to keep, and the accounts that pay for daily life. A workable digital estate plan protects both. It keeps momentum at a hard time and spares your family avoidable cost, delay and distress.

Preparing to meet Joe Spring

Bring what you can. We will fill the gaps.

1) Devices and security

  • List of phones, tablets, laptops and desktops in regular use
  • 2FA methods in play – SMS codes, authenticator apps, hardware keys, recovery codes
  • Password manager used – for example 1Password, Bitwarden, Dashlane or similar, and whether emergency access is enabled

2) Accounts and assets

  • Banking, investments, pensions and any trading or crypto platforms
  • Email addresses and cloud storage providers – iCloud, Gmail, Outlook, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Photos, Apple Photos
  • Social and communication accounts – Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, WhatsApp, Signal, Messenger
  • Business systems – payroll, accounting, website CMS, domain registrars and hosting

3) Wishes and access

  • For each platform, your preference – keep, memorialise, transfer or delete
  • Who you want to act first, and who should act if they cannot
  • Any legacy tools already set – Apple Legacy Contact, Google Inactive Account Manager, Facebook memorialisation settings

4) Evidence and practicals

  • Copies of your current will and LPAs
  • Where sealed instructions would be stored and who holds them
  • Names and emails of executors, attorneys and trustees so we can align everyone

If any of this is missing, bring what you have. We will help you build a simple plan that your executors can follow without friction when it matters.

Quick wins you can do this week

  • Turn on Apple Legacy Contact or Google Inactive Account Manager
  • Enable emergency access in your password manager
  • Create a one page register of key accounts and where they live
  • Store recovery codes for 2FA in a sealed envelope or secure vault
  • Tell your executors and attorneys where to find that envelope or vault

Call to action

Speak to Joe Spring and our Wills, Trusts and Probate team to add a digital estate plan that matches your will and LPAs. One focused session creates clarity, builds momentum for your executors, and protects both value and memories.

Essential Post
13/11/2025
By
Steele Raymond

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