Digital Estate Planning
Making Use of A Digital Vault to Protect Your Digital Assets for Your Loved Ones
Protect Your Digital Assets and Be The Hero
What Is A Digital Asset?
There is no ‘official' text or legislation that defines exactly what is a digital asset in the UK (this will change soon), however, the best way to understand what it is exactly, ‘is any information about you, belonging to you or created by you that exists in digital form, either online or on an electronic storage device, including the information necessary to access the digital asset' (Digital Assets on incapacity and death, LexisNexis)
There are personal digital assets and business digital assets. The list below are examples but are not exhaustive:
Examples of ‘Personal' Digital Assets…
Examples of ‘Business' Digital Assets
Do You Know What Happens To Your Photos and Passwords when you die?
While death is not the most exciting of topics to start a conversation and break the ice, one thing that is very clear today is that we all possess numerous digital assets and highlights the importance of embracing digital estate planning.
The thought of never being able to access a family photo or holiday videos of a close loved one is very painful and devastating
The emotional torture that something could have been done about it had you been told or informed would cause significant anger and disappointment
Why Is A Digital Vault So Important?
It's a fact that none of your relatives will be able to access your phone, computer, cloud storage, or email accounts without the passwords… There's even legal precedent that even with your permission, from your will, your executors will not have an automatic right of access. Digital Estate Planning is extremely important consideration when discussing any element of asset protection, succession planning or estate planning in general.
Further information regarding the importance of digital assets and why they should be considered during planning can be found in the following article by STEP (The Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners),
Take Control of Your Future, Now!
You've taken the time to sort out your traditional assets, what about the digital assets, protect your loved ones, leave no stone unturned.
Passwords
How do they cancel your Mobile Phone Contract? How do they access your work or business email? How do they email your clients?
Photos and Videos
Do you have captured memories on your devices that your family and loved ones would cherish to have? Videos, Holiday memories, Weddings, Birthdays, Special Events?
Special Care Instructions
What's your special family ingredients for that ‘secret' recipe? What are your children's allergies? Where does your dog love his walks?
Devices
Do you have important legal records or digital Assets (i.e. Crypto/ NFT's) Private Keys stored on devices? These are impossible to access without the correct logins.
Personal Messages
Record videos or write letters for loved ones. Letting those who are closest to you know how much they mean to you is a great way to preserve precious memories
Legal Documents
Make sure copies of Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, and other important legal documents are available and the locations of the ‘original documents' made available to prevent days of searching
How Secure Is Your Information?
The security of your digital assets is maintained using triple layers of encryption, and separate lock and key principals.
Each user's data is encrypted between their computer and the server (SSL) of our supplier – BePrepared then individually encrypted by the app, and lastly encrypted on the database.
Should any section of the infrastructure be attacked or hacked, your data is still safe, as the key is spread over separate application resources.
In addition to all of the above, every single time you choose to login, a special code is messaged to you to use alongside your password (special authentication) so a hacker even with your login details would not be able to gain access.
Military Grade Encryption
Three Layers of encryption for every user.
You Are in Full Control
Download the Digital Vault natively on your computer and access when you need to.
One Stop Shop
All types of digital assets can be stored, business and personal.
Easy Access
Even with the robust security protocols, access is easy
Cost Effective
You will not require any other digital asset management service and every client of ONCE receives their digital asset vault Free of Charge
Complete Peace of Mind
In the age where leaving a digital legacy is becoming significantly important, you know have a tool that makes it all possible
How Do We Know If A Death Event Has Taken Place?
Here's How The Process Works (To Protect What's Yours)
We Are Alerted
One of your confidants (someone who you trust and elect to have certain access) or your lawyer, let's us know of your passing via the Digital Vault.
We Attempt To Get In Touch
The Digital vault is coded to get in contact with you (the owner) to check the validity of the claim (of a death event)
We Check When You Last Used Our systems..
The Digital Vault is also programmed to check when you last logged in and any activity that may have taken place. Again to verify validity of the claim of a death event.
If You Can Not be Contacted…
All of your confidant's, will be contacted (if there is no response from you) Ideally, to verify independently that a death event took place.
If Your Lawyer…
Is connected to your account, they will also be required to verify if a death event has occurred before any private digital assets will be released as per your terms
By Unanimous Agreement…
Once everyone connected to the account has been contacted and there is absolute agreement by all concerned, only then shall your data be released.
Who Can Access My Digital Vault?
You are the only person who can access the vault during your lifetime, unless you specifically create an event for one of your confidant's (those you nominate to access your private digital information when required) to have access also. Otherwise the information can only be accessed once a death event is confirmed
You are able to limit how much or how little your confidant's can access. Your confidant will have their own access to the software which we shall supply free of charge, once you nominate them
As your Lawyer/ Private Wealth Adviser, we can upload documents such as a copy of your will, trust documents etc, but we will not have sight or access to any tertiary documents you have stored unless you decide to give us access to do so.
How Do You Get Access To A Digital Vault?
All of our Private Wealth Clients Receive Access To The Vault for life, Free of Charge
Once we are instructed to draft documents on your behalf or you utilise one of our services where estate planning is required, then you will automatically eligible for access to a ONCE Wills and Trusts Digital Vault Service Free of Charge which is part of our commitment to embrace digital estate planning.
As a complimentary resource, click the link to download a copy of the STEP Digital Estate Planning Checklist / inventory for you to start thinking about all of the potential digital assets you possess and should start thinking about protecting.
Get Started With Your Estate Planning Today…