You are at this very moment reading a digital asset. You might well have written blog posts yourself, or you might own a website filled with family photos and other mementos. That is also a digital asset, as is your Facebook page and Twitter account.
As growing bits and pieces of our lives exist online, it is wise to consider these digital assets – and what should happen to them when you are gone – when you sit down to discuss matters with your estate planning attorney.
Some of us might not realize how many assets we have online, but they can include large libraries of music, books and movies, as well as something such as an online business. In some cases, people own a domain name that, if offered to the public, could fetch a handsome price.
Online intellectual property such as blog posts, photos, artwork, essays, articles and other creative pursuits can also be considered assets with financial or sentimental value; assets you control and can pass on to heirs.
How can you protect these assets? An estate planning attorney can help you add a clause to your will or a trust that gives your estate executor authority to control and distribute the assets as you see fit.
If you prefer to have certain items deleted or stored, you can ensure that is done as well.
The first step is to look at your digital assets and decide what you want done with them. A Flemington estate planning attorney can then help you craft an enduring plan so that your wishes are later carried out.
