Why You Should Include Your Digital Assets in Your Will
With the remaining weeks of 2025, many of us are winding down, thinking about family, the holidays and what really matters most. It is also the perfect time to look at something most people forget about when planning their estate: their digital assets.
We spend so much of our lives online, managing finances, sharing memories, building businesses and holding investments. Yet most Wills still focus only on the physical world.
If your Will does not include your digital life, you are leaving a big part of your story unprotected.
What counts as a digital asset?
Digital assets include anything of value that exists online or is stored electronically.
That might be:
Cryptocurrency or digital wallets
Websites and domain names
Online businesses and e-commerce stores
Social media accounts
Photos and videos stored in the cloud
Email and subscription accounts
Loyalty points, rewards or other digital credits
They might not always be financial, but they often hold deep personal or emotional value.
Why it matters
Without clear instructions in your Will, your loved ones could lose access to important or sentimental items, or face long, stressful processes trying to recover them.
Even small things, like photos or emails, can mean a lot. And when digital assets have real financial value, like cryptocurrency or online business income, they become part of your estate just like your house, car or bank account.
Including them in your Will makes sure they are managed properly, and that your family, executor or business partner is not left trying to guess your wishes.
This is where an experienced estate planning lawyer can help. A lawyer can guide you on how to structure your Will to include digital assets safely and legally, while protecting your privacy and ensuring your wishes are clear.
How to include digital assets in your Will
1. Make a list of your digital assets
Write down every online account, investment or subscription you own. Do not forget the less obvious ones such as loyalty programs, cloud storage or creative work stored online.
2. Appoint a digital executor
Choose someone you trust to handle your digital assets. It can be the same person as your main executor or someone with good tech knowledge.
3. Leave clear instructions
Explain how each asset should be handled, who can access it, whether it should be transferred, preserved or deleted. Store access details safely (never in the Will itself).
4. Think about the legal and tax side
Some digital assets can be taxed or require specific transfer steps. Treat them like other property in your estate. A trusted lawyer can make sure these steps are properly documented.
5. Keep your Will up to date
Your digital life changes quickly. Review your Will every year, or when you add a new platform, investment or digital business.
The benefit of planning ahead
Including digital assets in your Will protects more than just money. It protects memories, personal work and the things that make up your daily life.
At Connected Legal + Commercial, our estate planning lawyers help clients plan their estates so nothing meaningful gets left behind, online or offline.
Before the year ends, take a few quiet minutes to think about your digital life. It is one of the simplest ways to make sure your loved ones can access, protect and preserve what truly matters.
Your legacy lives online too. Make sure it is part of your plan.
DISCLAIMER
The content given herein is provided for information purposes only. It is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice and should not be used as such. Formal legal advice should be sought in particular matters.
Connected Legal + Commercial does not accept any liability to any person for the information (or use of such information) which is provided herein or incorporated into it by reference.
The information is provided in good faith on the basis that all persons accessing the content undertake responsibility for assessing its relevance and accuracy and will seek appropriate formal legal advice accordingly.