Your Digital Life Needs a Place in Your Estate Plan

If you’ve ever tried to close a loved one’s streaming service or retrieve photos from their locked phone after they’ve passed, you already know: digital life adds a layer of complication to an already difficult time. 

Today, much of our personal and financial lives are online—scattered across email accounts, cloud storage, banking apps, and subscriptions. But most estate plans still focus on what’s on paper. That gap can create real challenges for the people you leave behind. 

What Counts as a Digital Asset? 

Digital assets aren’t limited to cryptocurrency or online banking. They include: 

• Email and text messages 
• Cloud drives like Google or iCloud 
• Social media and streaming services 
• Shopping accounts 
• Digital photo collections 
• Loyalty points or rewards programs 

Without access, many of these assets may be lost or locked. That can create unnecessary stress for family members already navigating a difficult process. 

What the Law Says in Illinois

Illinois law allows executors and trustees to access digital assets—but not automatically. The law, based on the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA), requires clear written permission. 

In other words, simply naming someone in your will won’t give them access to your Gmail or other accounts. That access needs to be spelled out in your estate plan and aligned with the terms of service for each platform. 

A Simple Step: Create a Digital Playbook 

To make sure your digital life is handled according to your wishes, start by: 

• Listing all digital accounts (email, banking, social media, subscriptions, etc.) 
• Describing what you want done with each one 
• Providing a secure way for your executor to access credentials 

This information can be stored in a password manager, an encrypted file, or a locked physical folder. What matters is that the person you’ve named knows where to find it—and how to use it.

Why It Matters 

Leaving digital accounts unaddressed can lead to delays, confusion, and added hardship. Tech companies aren’t quick to help people who can’t prove legal access—even when the circumstances are clear. 

Planning for digital assets isn’t about being tech-savvy. It’s about being thorough. A modern estate plan should account for both the paper and the passwords.

Planning for the Digital Age 



As more of our lives move online, estate plans need to evolve too. Including digital assets ensures your executor has the tools—and the authority—to carry out your wishes without unnecessary roadblocks. 

If you’re unsure how to account for your digital footprint in your estate plan, McGrath Law Office, P.C. can help. Call our Mackinaw office at 309-359-3461 or our Morton office at 309-266-6211 to take the next step in protecting what matters most.