Your guide to protecting your digital legacy.

In a world where we live, work, and connect online more than ever, our digital lives don’t just disappear when we’re gone. From photo albums stored in the cloud to decades of emails, social media profiles, subscription services, and even cryptocurrency—our virtual footprint often outlives us.

At Widlast Legal, we call this your digital dust, the collection of online accounts and digital assets that remain after death. And just like your home, finances, or personal belongings, it deserves thoughtful planning.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably already ahead of the curve. Here’s how you can take control of your digital life now, so your loved ones aren’t left navigating a confusing tangle of accounts and passwords later.

1. Take Inventory of Your Digital Footprint

Start by listing your online accounts. Think beyond the obvious—our digital lives touch more corners than we realize. Include:

• Email (Gmail, Outlook, etc.)
• Social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X/Twitter)
• Financial platforms (Venmo, PayPal, banking apps)
• Cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox)
• Streaming and subscription services (Netflix, Amazon, Spotify)
• Cryptocurrency and digital wallets
• Websites, blogs, domain names

Store this list securely, ideally with a password management company and/or your successor Trustee.

2. Know the Options: Deactivate, Transfer, or Memorialize

Each company has its own way of handling accounts after death. It’s worth checking your settings now:

• Facebook lets you appoint a Legacy Contact to manage or memorialize your profile.
• Google offers an Inactive Account Manager tool to share or delete data after a period of inactivity.
• Apple allows you to name a Legacy Contact through your Apple ID.
• LinkedIn accepts memorialization or removal requests through a simple form.

Taking a few minutes now can save your loved ones hours (or even months) of stress later.

3. Appoint a Digital Executor

In California, you can name a Digital Executor in your will—someone who is legally authorized to manage your digital assets. This ensures your wishes are respected and your accounts are handled according to your preferences.

4. Include Digital Directives in Your Estate Plan

A modern estate plan should go beyond just “paperwork.” At Widlast Legal, we help you:

• Grant legal access to digital accounts
• Outline what should happen to each account (shut down, transferred, or saved)
• Stay compliant with privacy laws like the Stored Communications Act

This is where vague wishes meet clear legal language and that makes all the difference when the time comes.

5. Update Regularly

New apps, changed passwords, updated preferences, all adds up fast. Make reviewing your digital inventory part of your annual check-in, just like updating your insurance or reviewing your financial plan.  As part of the Widlast Legal Continuity Plan for our estate planning clients, we provide you with a tool and annual reminder to update your digit asset lists.

Widlast Tip:

Widlast Legal clients have secure, 24/7 access to their digital estate planning documents, questionnaires, and account information through MyCase, your personal planning vault. If you’re a client and haven’t used it yet, we’d be happy to walk you through it.

Let’s Dust Off Your Digital Plan

Your digital life tells a story and it’s worth protecting. If you haven’t yet addressed your online accounts, or if you’re not sure whether your current estate plan covers them, let’s have a conversation.

We’ll help you manage your digital dust, so your legacy is clear, complete, and secure, both on paper and in pixels.

Schedule a digital estate review today.