When most people think about writing a will, their mind goes straight to houses, money, or treasured belongings. What often gets left out is the digital part of life. From photos stored online to personal bank accounts accessed through apps, our day-to-day lives now include a lot of things that don’t sit in a drawer or on a shelf.
An estate planning will can provide a way to give direction for those digital items as well. It lets you decide what happens to your online accounts, files, and stored memories after you’re gone. Without those instructions, loved ones could be left guessing or locked out. We find it helps to think carefully about those digital pieces, who you’d trust with them, and what you’d want done.
What Counts as a Digital Asset
Digital assets come in many forms, and the list keeps growing. Some feel like practical matters, others are personal. But all of them can be difficult to access unless someone knows they exist and is named to take care of them.
• Email accounts, cloud storage, and passwords to mobile apps
• Social media profiles like X, Facebook, or Instagram
• Online banking, investment platforms, or digital wallets
• Subscription accounts or streaming services tied to personal details
• Personal websites, blogs, or domains
• Photo libraries, videos, or written work saved on devices or shared online
• Chat archives and private messages that hold emotional value
Many of these are protected by logins or tied to user terms that do not allow them to be transferred easily. Just because a family member knows the password does not always mean they have the legal right to access it. That is why planning ahead can save time, confusion, and upset later.
It is worth noting that digital assets can sometimes hold surprising value, both in terms of money and memories. Personal accounts could have vital information, years’ worth of messages, irreplaceable photos, or business contacts that mean a lot to those left behind. By identifying even the less-obvious digital items, you make it easier for others to know what matters.
Why It Helps to Include Digital Assets in Your Will
Digital property does not always pass automatically to your family. In some cases, the platform deletes accounts if there is no clear instruction. In others, it might stay frozen.
Including digital items in an estate planning will can offer a clear set of steps for the people handling your estate. It avoids the stress of try-and-guess situations and prevents disputes about access. A will does not just record your wishes. It lets you name someone who is trusted to manage, close, or maintain your accounts.
Think about it this way:
• A picture folder stored online could mean a lot to your children.
• A blog you have been writing for years might need to be closed with care.
• Leaving no instructions for your digital bank account could slow down the entire estate process.
Having digital instructions in place means your choices are clearer, even when they are not physical.
When your digital wishes are left out of your planning, families often face uncertainty. The absence of clear instructions can add to worries at a time when it’s already hard. By specifically naming online accounts and clarifying your intentions, loved ones know how to honour your life online the way you want. This step also means nothing gets missed or lost in the shuffle.
Choosing Someone to Handle Your Digital Instructions
All of this relies on picking the right person to carry things out. That does not have to be someone technical, but they should understand enough about how online platforms work. More importantly, they should be someone you trust to follow through with care and judgement.
Rather than forcing them to guess, make things easier by doing the following:
• Write a list of the online accounts you want them to know about
• Explain what you want to happen, kept, closed, downloaded, or passed on
• Keep access details stored safely, and leave instructions on how to find that information
It is likely this list will need updating now and then. People start new subscriptions, sign up for fresh apps, or forget about older ones. Checking the list once a year and making sure the person you appointed still feels right for the role can help.
Letting someone know they are named to handle your digital matters is also helpful. It makes the request clear and gives them a chance to ask questions ahead of time. If you have more than one person looking after your estate, explaining their roles avoids confusion.
If you’re not sure who to choose, think about who may already help you with other tasks or who seems thoughtful with sensitive information. Sometimes, it’s easier to pick one person for digital assets and another for rest of the estate.
Keeping Your Digital Plans Secure and Updated
Making a digital plan is one part. Keeping it safe is the other. What is written about your online life will not matter if no one can find the details when needed.
• Store your list of digital assets and any passwords in a protected, private location
• Update access instructions when account details or terms change
• Tell the trusted person how to unlock that information, when the time comes
Some online platforms give account holders settings to pass access on if they die. Others do not. That is another reason it helps to have your own instructions, shared with the right person through your estate planning will.
Simple habits, like checking login details yearly or keeping a printed copy of plans in a secure folder, make a big difference later. Preparing a digital plan this way means everything online gets treated with the same care as valuables inside your home.
It might also be wise to keep a written summary or digital document, clearly marked, that guides your chosen person to the rest of your records. Use clear, non-technical language for account instructions so nothing is misunderstood. Let your loved ones know where to find this file or folder if needed.
Updating these plans can be just like updating your will after big life changes. Small reviews prevent problems and unnecessary stress down the road. It is much easier to adjust a digital plan now than it is to sort out forgotten passwords and outdated details later.
Thoughtful Steps for the Digital Side of Life
As life keeps moving online, the things we care about most are often stored in a format we cannot touch. Whether it is a decades-old chat with a relative or a thousand family photos saved in the cloud, these are the pieces that tell our story.
Including digital instructions in your estate planning will means those memories are not forgotten or lost. They are dealt with the way you would want, and the people left behind are not guessing under pressure.
A bit of quiet planning now can make things feel more settled later on. During the cold start of January across England and Wales, it is a fitting time to review what matters and write it down with clarity and care. An online life deserves just as much thought as the rest.
Thinking about the role your digital presence plays in your long-term plans is necessary, and making your wishes clear through an estate planning will brings peace of mind for you and your loved ones. At Sovereign Planning, we support people throughout England and Wales as they make important decisions about their personal and online affairs. By putting plans in place today, you can make sure your intentions are clearly written and secure. We are here to guide you at each step, so contact us to start the conversation.
