Estate Planning is the process of working with an attorney to create a legally binding plan for what you want to happen to your belongings and property (known as your estate) and your money (your assets) after you pass away. When you think about your estate, you probably think about physical property: your house, your car, your family heirlooms. Digital assets, however, may be just as essential to your estate.
Your digital assets might include:
- Your Smartphone – As in, the physical device, which of course includes…
- Everything You Keep On Your Phone – Your photos, your videos, your contacts, your notes, your text messages, and probably a lot more.
- Everything Stored in the Cloud – All of those photos that you can look at on your phone but aren’t actually stored there if anyone wanted to use them.
- Your Computers – And all those drafts of your Great American Novel, and your old Solitaire top scores.
- All Digital Photos – Most of our memories are stored in digital spaces rather than physical these days.
- Online Bank Accounts – This of course means access to the digital services of your bank account, but also if you use a bank which is entirely online and has no physical location for your family to visit.
- Any Cryptocurrency – That’s right: those Bitcoin investments might pay off one day, but they won’t be transferred along with everything in your regular bank account.
- Email Accounts – Including all of those ones from decades ago that you’d rather your family didn’t see, and those thousands of spam emails that you wish you hadn’t seen.
- Social Media Accounts – Not just your Facebook and Instagram accounts, but all of the content stored on them! Have you been making TikToks? Don’t let them be lost to time!
- Medical Records – Which are stored online and, you know, pretty important.
- Subscription Services – Who gets to keep using your Netflix subscription when you pass away? The answer is up to you!
- Any Monetized Content You Created – Do you have any YouTube videos or Twitch streams that make money for you? Ownership must be passed along!
- Digital Libraries – Including any movies, albums, books, and magazines you have bought digitally over the years.
- Any Blogs You’ve Written – If you were the right age between 2006 and 2012, we’re guessing you have a few of these. (There’s no shame involved – you’re reading our own Blog right now!)
- And Much More!
All of these digital assets can be included in your Estate Plan. Not just how to access them, but what you would like to happen to them as well. To get started protecting your family and your future, contact Solan, Park & Robello today! We bridge your present to your future.
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Solan, Park & Robello
Solan, Park & Robello is a full-service probate and estate planning firm offering experienced counsel in a wide range of estate planning matters—from preparation to administration to litigation.
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