What about digital/online accounts?
A few years ago, I spoke to a heartbroken surviving spouse. On top of dealing with the untimely and unexpected death of their partner, they had just learned that their request to access the deceased’s phone was denied. The only reason they wanted in? The years of family photos stored there that were not backed up elsewhere. Thankfully, they finally got access to those photos, but it took time, money, and energy that could have been better spent elsewhere.
And the truth is some of this heartache can be avoided by doing the following:
Alphabet (Google)—designate an Inactive Account Manager.
Facebook—add a Legacy Contact to your account.
Some companies do not support designating a legacy contact but do have policies in place to help close/archive the deceased person’s account. Examples:
Logins and passwords can be another barrier. You can save (and share) them securely by using a password manager app with emergency or legacy access. This article explains how it works.
Disclaimer: this article was written by Attorney Heather Hazelwood of Hazelwood Law PLLC dba Ampersand Law. This article does not contain legal advice and is not a substitute for obtaining legal counsel. It is offered for general information purposes only.