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Wills, Estates, and Trusts | Social Media Accounts

Digital Estate Planning For Social Media Accounts When You Die

Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning , , ,

Many people wonder about what happens to your social media accounts when you die, but they never ask a lawyer. For those of you that have done this, you are in luck. Today we are going to answer all your questions about the legal process behind this. We will also explain how you can make arrangements for this.

Property Rights & Asset Rights For Digital Estate

Unlike physical estate, digital estate laws are not up-to-date. When you consider how quickly social media took over, it’s no surprise that lawmakers have not had time to create laws governing this property. One important thing to keep in mind is that when you sign up for an account with almost any web-service, you are agreeing to their terms of use. When you buy a song off of iTunes, it is yours, and yours solely. When you pass away, that digital right does not get passed down, it is terminated. This means the license to download it is only allowed to your account. Most social media websites follow similar rules. The content that is generated on the website by an account is property of the website owner, not the account holder in most cases.

Digital Rights Planning For Social Media Accounts

With all of this in mind, it is important to keep track of all your digital accounts. When you pass away it is important that someone has access in order to take care of things. Think about someone that runs a digital business. Unless there is a special plan in place in the will, your family will have to hire an attorney to pull any money from an online payment platform such as Paypal or Google. Ideally you will find an estate planning attorney that will help guide you through all the steps. The benefit to this is that in the case of your untimely death, the attorney will be aware of the situation. They will be able to quickly help your family without having to waste valuable time finding an attorney.

Final Words

Digital media rights are commonly overlooked in will/estate planning, and it can cause huge issues for the family of the deceased. Being aware of the common problems and how to overcome them will make the situation much easier. Find an estate and will planning attorney to go over this with you. And contact an experienced digital estate-planning attorney in Lakeland FL, Mark McMann, P.A. We will gladly help you with any questions you may have.

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Estate Planning | Will Planning Attorney Mark McMann, P.A.

The Importance of a Establishing a Will

Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning , , , ,

First and foremost, a will outlines the way you would like your property to be distributed after you have passed away. With a will in place you can name the executor of the will, which means you pick who is in charge of executing your wishes. This is extremely important because you only want someone prepared for the job. If you have a large amount of property and investments to be dealt with, you will definitely want to have a will in place.

It is not essential to name an attorney as executor of the will, but it is important that you choose someone in good health. Also pay attention to laws across states if your executor lives elsewhere. By speaking with an attorney about setting up your will, you can have peace of mind that your will is secure. The person you choose can always speak with an attorney to get assistance with any issues they may have.

The ideal choice is to go ahead and create a will now, even if you are young and in good health. You can always update your will but there is nothing you can do if it’s too late. Without a will, the state steps in and makes decisions on your behalf. This isn’t necessarily bad, but it is not helpful if you had specific wishes and trusts you wanted in place.

All in all, you can never make a will too soon. With some proper planning you can have peace of mind and know that if anything ever happens to you, that your wishes will be carried out. For help with creating a will, choosing an executor, or anything else it is best to contact an attorney or specialist in this field. If you are looking for a Lakeland FL experienced will & trust attorney, look no further than Mark McMann P.A. You can contact him with any questions by calling (863) 393-9010.

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