Inventory value and access separately
List devices, storage, email, social accounts, domains, websites, financial platforms, rewards, subscriptions, intellectual property, and business systems. Record where credentials and recovery methods are stored, not the secrets themselves.
Which tool covers which digital-asset question
| Tool | Best used for |
|---|---|
| Will | Instructions and authority after death |
| Trust | Ownership and management of assets placed in it |
| Power of attorney | Authority to manage during life |
| Online-provider tool | Access settings inside the provider's own system |
| Written map of accounts | Where things are and how to recover them, without the secrets themselves |
Leave practical instructions
An authorized person still needs a workable map.
- Device and encryption recovery
- Password-manager emergency access
- Two-factor authentication plan
- Domain and hosting ownership
- Business continuity contacts
- Accounts to preserve, memorialize, transfer, or close
What counts as a digital asset?
Email, photos and videos, social media, cloud storage, cryptocurrency, domain names, online banking, and software licenses. Some have money value and some have sentimental value; the law treats access to the contents of messages more strictly than access to a list of accounts.
Does Vermont have a law about access to digital accounts after death?
Yes, the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act. It sets rules for when a personal representative, agent, trustee, or guardian can get access. The account holder's own instructions carry a great deal of weight.
Can I give my executor access to my email?
You can allow it in your will, trust, or power of attorney, or through an online tool a company provides. The Act says an online tool direction overrides a conflicting direction in your will if you can change it at any time.
Can the executor read my messages?
Only if you consented or a court orders it. To get the content of electronic communications, the executor must give the company a written request, a death certificate, proof of appointment, and the document showing consent.
What can the executor get without my consent?
Under the Act the executor can generally obtain a catalogue of communications, meaning who wrote to whom and when, and other digital assets, unless you prohibited it or the court says otherwise. Contents need consent.
What is an online tool?
A setting inside a service, such as a legacy contact or inactive-account manager, that lets you name who may access your data. If it lets you change your choice at any time, it takes priority over your will.
Should I write down my passwords?
Keep a secure list, ideally in a password manager, and tell your executor how to reach it; do not put passwords in the will, since the will becomes a public court record. A locked list beats a wish that people will guess.
What about cryptocurrency?
It can be lost forever if no one has the keys. Record where the wallets are and how to get into them, and put the instructions in a secure place; tell a trusted person the location, not the keys, and get tax advice.
Do terms of service matter?
Yes, but less than they used to. Under the Act, your specific direction overrides a general terms-of-service provision unless the terms require you to act affirmatively and distinctly. Read what each service offers.
What happens to a social media profile?
It depends on the platform. Some allow memorializing or deleting an account when a family member proves the death.
Others may require a court order. Put your wishes in writing and name someone to handle it.
Can a power of attorney cover digital assets?
Yes. The Act covers access by an agent, and a power of attorney can grant authority over your digital assets. Say so clearly if you want your agent to manage online accounts while you are alive.
Do digital assets count in the estate value?
Those with value do; a domain name, an online business, or cryptocurrency can be worth real money and belong on the inventory. Sentimental items usually do not affect the value.
Sources and further reading