Most of us now manage huge parts of our lives online. Bank accounts, investments, email, streaming services, cloud storage, social media. The average person has dozens of online accounts, many of which hold real financial or sentimental value. But what happens to all of it when you die?

The answer is… it depends. And without proper planning, a significant part of your digital life could become inaccessible, lost, or dealt with in a way you wouldn’t have wanted.

When you die, your executor is responsible for administering your entire estate. That includes your digital assets. But how can they do that if they don’t know what accounts you have, or can’t get into them?

Unlike physical assets, digital accounts are often invisible. There’s no filing cabinet, no bank statement arriving in the post. If you haven’t left a record, your executor may have no idea where to start, and by the time they find out an account exists, it may already be inaccessible.

What Counts as a Digital Asset?
Digital assets cover a wide range of things, including but not limited to:

• Online bank accounts and payment services such as PayPal
• Cryptocurrency and digital investments
• Domain names and websites
• Email accounts
• Cloud storage containing documents, photos, and videos
• Streaming and subscription services
• Social media profiles such as Threads
• Professional networking accounts such as LinkedIn
• Digital purchases such as music, films, and e-books

It’s worth noting that some digital purchases may not be as permanent as they seem. Many platforms licence content rather than sell it outright, meaning the licence terminates on your death and cannot be passed on. Your executor’s job in those cases is simply to arrange closure of the account.

Online-Only Financial Accounts
Online payment accounts such as PayPal hold real money and must be dealt with just as a traditional bank account would be. Your executor will need to notify the provider, supply a death certificate, and arrange for any funds to be released to the estate. If your executor doesn’t know the account exists, that money could sit unclaimed.

Social Media
Social media accounts don’t simply disappear when you die. They remain active until someone contacts the platform to request closure or memorialisation. Different platforms handle this in different ways.

Facebook, for example, allows users to nominate a Legacy Contact (someone who can manage a memorialised version of your profile after your death). You can also request that your account be permanently deleted when you die. Instagram offers similar options. X and LinkedIn accounts can be reported for closure by a family member or executor, though the process varies.

Without any instructions from you, your executor will have to make these decisions on your behalf – which is why leaving clear written guidance matters!

So what can you do? 
The single most practical step you can take is to create and maintain a log of all your digital accounts. This should include:

• The name of each platform or service
• Your username or email address for that account
• Your password
• Any relevant notes about what you’d like to happen to the account

Keep it as a hard copy. Review and update it at least once a year, and ideally every six months as passwords change. Keep it somewhere secure. A locked drawer, a fireproof box, or with your solicitor. Do not store it somewhere easily accessible to others during your lifetime.

Should you leave your password in your Will?
Keeping a copy of your log with your original Will is a sensible precaution. However, do not add any passwords into the Will itself. Your Will becomes a public document after Probate. Instead, use a password manager or secure storage.

You may wish to add a letter of wishes alongside your Will and digital log.

Digital estate planning is still a relatively new area, and the law has not yet fully caught up with the pace of change in how we manage our lives online. The best protection you can give your executor and your loved ones is clear, up-to-date instructions and a regularly maintained record of your accounts.

If you’d like to discuss how digital assets fit into your estate planning, or if you need advice on updating your Will to reflect your wishes, our team is here to help. Get in touch for a free initial conversation.