Digital Wills - it all becomes public

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Emma Gaudern, Partner at BHP Law is advising clients to leave their usernames and passwords in letters or a document that can be held with their Wills to make it easier for executors to deal with all their affairs when they die.

Without passwords, relatives may never be able to access E-mail, internet banking and social networking for their loved ones which means things are left unfinished.

Some clients have started to include these details in their Wills, however it is important to now provide instructions on how to deal with their digital footprint and their online life, the same way they deal with their offline life. “It is important that information such as this is not inserted directly into the Will” says Emma“People forget that after they die their Will becomes a public document and therefore any passwords given in the Will itself will become a matter of public record. What they should do is note these details down separately and make sure they are stored safely with the Will so they can be easily found after a person dies.”

There is also the need for the regulation of online policy, allowing next of kin access to passwords etc to close accounts. Currently the different systems in place are very confusing and the process is taking different lengths of time and requiring a variety of documentation, sometimes it’s more difficult to close online accounts than bank accounts. This can be so easily resolved.

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And don’t forget you are not allowed to log in as someone else ….