Glenn Williamson, CE & Founder of WebCease made a presentation yesterday at SYK that was interesting and informative. For a very reasonable fee for personal representatives, fiduciaries, or attorneys, they have a system where they scour the internet for a decedent’s online accounts and provide a report. Mr. Williamson opines that just as a credit report has become routine for managing an estate, so too, should a digital asset report become a routine management tool. They may find valuable airline miles, transferable hotel points, email accounts, online photo albums, or music accounts, but the best results are obtained if done within a year of a decedent’s death, so timing is important.
Webpagefx organized a creative chart that addresses one’s digital demise. However, with online companies changing frequently, terms of service changing unilaterally and often, and the law in flux, certainty is unobtainable.
And if you think this only applies to social media, which is a young person’s game, then think again. This short video vividly demonstrates how intertwined our lives have become with our online assets and accounts. Digital assets are out there. How will you manage them?
