01 · Start with what exists
Digital life is more ordinary than it sounds.
It is not only cryptocurrency or social media. It is the online layer around your house, accounts, work, records, and relationships.
Access and identity
Primary email, phone, password manager, two-factor authentication
Money and property
Online banking, brokerage, crypto, domains, business accounts
Memories and files
Cloud storage, photos, documents, creative work
Services and subscriptions
Utilities, streaming, memberships, software, online stores
02 · Keep the layers separate
Access is not ownership. Ownership is not authority.
A password, a legal document, and a platform procedure solve different parts of the problem. A practical plan accounts for all three.
Someone knows the account or asset is there.
The person handling things knows where to look.
They have an approved path to the necessary device, credentials, or platform process.
They are acting in the right role, such as agent, trustee, or personal representative.
The account can be maintained, closed, transferred, or preserved as appropriate.
Someone can know a password without authority. Someone can have authority without the practical information needed to use it. Both gaps are common.
03 · See the connections
One email account can be the doorway to everything else.
This is not a map for bypassing security. It is a reminder that a single device, email address, or phone number may support many legitimate account-recovery paths.
For each connection, decide whether it should be preserved, transferred, closed, or simply made findable for the person in charge.
Different things, different treatment
Not every online account should be handled the same way.
An email account, photo library, subscription, website, and cryptocurrency wallet can each have different value, access rules, and next steps.
Some may only need a cancellation or a record of bills and notices.
These may be worth preserving or sharing, even when they have no financial value.
Domains, creator accounts, client systems, and online stores can require continuity planning.
Crypto, monetized accounts, and intellectual property may need professional, platform-specific guidance.
04 · California context
Authority and platform rules both matter.
California has a Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act. In broad terms, it creates a framework for fiduciaries to request access to digital assets in specified circumstances.
It does not mean that every account automatically transfers, that every message is available, or that a platform must ignore the user's directions or terms. Online tools and account settings may matter. A will, trust, power of attorney, or another record may also be relevant.
For a real situation, the account, platform rules, and the person's legal role need to be considered together.
Where plans go quiet
Most digital gaps are organization gaps.
No one knows an account exists
A valuable account, policy, or recurring bill is absent from every record.
The primary email or device is unavailable
Password resets, notices, and verification may all point to a place nobody can reach.
Recovery details are out of date
An old phone number or contact can turn a routine account step into a long delay.
Files live in one cloud account
Tax records, family photos, or estate documents may be difficult to locate when they matter.
A business depends on one login
Payments, customers, domains, or creative work may have no clear person who can continue or close them.
05 · Make it findable
Build an inventory, not a password list.
An inventory tells a trusted person what exists and why it matters. Store credentials and recovery codes separately in a secure system. The inventory can point to that system without exposing its contents. For a practical starting point, see what to include in a digital inventory.
Incapacity matters too
Digital planning is not only about after death.
During incapacity, someone may need information and appropriate authority to pay an online bill, locate tax documents, manage a business system, or keep an important account active. That is one reason digital organization belongs beside the rest of an estate plan.
Explore Durable Power of Attorney ↗Common questions
Digital-life FAQs
01Can my family use my passwords after I die?
Knowing a password is not the same as having legal authority, and a platform may have its own process. A better plan gives the right person a secure way to find the account and the documents that establish their role.
02What is a digital asset?
It can include an online account, file, digital property, or information stored or managed electronically. Some items have financial value, while others matter because they contain records, memories, or access to other accounts.
03Should I put passwords in my will?
Usually, no. A will can become part of a court record if probate is required. Keep an inventory and access instructions in a secure location instead, and tell the appropriate person where to find them.
04What happens to cryptocurrency?
Crypto can involve a wallet, private key, exchange account, and tax records. It needs specialized care because lost credentials can make recovery impossible. This guide does not provide custody, tax, or transfer advice.
05Does a power of attorney cover my digital accounts?
It may be part of the authority picture during incapacity, but the document, California law, a platform's terms, and the particular account can all matter. The agent also needs enough information to locate and manage the account.
Keep exploring
Useful next steps
Estate Planning Basics
See how the main documents and records fit together.
Durable Power of Attorney
Learn about financial decision-making during incapacity.
Money & Assets
Coordinate titles, beneficiary designations, and other transfer records.
Living Trusts
Understand how trust ownership can fit into a broader plan.
Start with what you have
Not sure where digital life fits into your plan?
Use the guided intake to organize what is going on, or talk through your questions with Pillar.