DIGITAL PROPERTY AFTER DEATH

First make a list of your digital assets. Start with the hardware: computers tablets and smartphones, digital music players, e- readers and digital cameras are the obvious. But don’t forget the external hard drives flash drives. Then there are the online accounts. They include email and social media, shopping, photo and video sharing, online storage and websites or blogs you may manage. Lastly, domain names, intellectual property including copyrighted materials and trademarks as well as any code you have written or own are all part of your digital picture. Next- name a digital executor, it’s not a legally binding or enforceable designation, but if it’s a person you trust they can help settle your digital affairs. Just make sure they have the logins and passwords. Three: decide what you want done with the assets. Archived or saved? Deleted or erased? Or perhaps transferred to family members, friends or colleagues. Four: store the info in a secure but accessible location an attorney, an online storage service or a locked file cabinet all work. Finally, make it legal, in Florida your formal digital estate plan is a binding document, like a will. But don’t put any of this sensitive material in your will since that will eventually become a public document. If you need help establishing your digital or any other estate plan, call Doane and Doane or log onto doaneanddoane.com