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Dealing with social media accounts after someone has died

On Behalf of | Apr 28, 2017 | Estate Administration |

Many individuals living in New Jersey and all over the world have social media accounts. People of all ages use platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to stay connected with friends and loved ones and as a source of news. However, once someone passes away, his or her accounts still remain active, which can result in people being given painful reminders of another person’s passing in their timeline or friend recommendations.

Some experts recommend that people take over a deceased person’s social media accounts to prevent these unfortunate situations from occurring. In order to do so, it’s first necessary to check each platform’s terms of service. In some cases, legal documents are all that are needed to close or memorialize an account, but other services may require that a person proves that they are a representative of the decedent.

Before doing anything with an online account, people should let friends and family know of a loved one’s passing. This is a much more personal way to find out about someone’s death compared to seeing an announcement online. Individuals may want to share details about a memorial service or a person’s last wishes when they do create a post.

Estate administration can cover a range of issues, including how people’s assets are distributed after they die and who they would like to make financial and medical decisions for them. Along with ensuring that all aspects of his or her property and wishes, including online accounts, are carefully documented, it’s also important that a person keeps his or her estate planning documents up to date. A lawyer could assist someone with making sure that his or her estate plan complies with current laws and accurately reflects his or her wishes.

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