Your online presence might be very important to you and takes up a considerable amount of time in your day-to-day life. Establishing social media profiles and presence takes time and effort and is basically a creation that we make as a representation of ourselves. If you are wondering what happens to social media profiles after a person dies, read on – you might be surprised to learn what might happen.
Social Media Accounts Might Live Forever Without Proactive Planning
The potential that your online accounts might persist indefinitely if nothing is done is likely with many online portals, like Facebook. Without some proactive effort on behalf of the user, the account may persist indefinitely. It is estimated that if Facebook success persists, there will be billions of Facebook accounts representing persons who have passed in the coming years.
When websites are no longer supported through hosting services, they are cut off and fade from the internet. Facebook and other social media programs, however, are on separate servers, so they may last much longer. If Facebook exists in three hundred years, and you had not set something up to shut down your account, your Facebook page could still exist in three hundred years.
If you want particular things to happen with your online accounts, there are programs that you can use today to set things up for the future. Facebook messages can be sent in the future by paying online services to set scheduled messages. This can be used to communicate a message to your future self or also to post messages after you have passed through your social media accounts. Whether you want your online presence to persist after your time on earth depends entirely upon your preferences and is something you can incorporate into your future planning.
Online Financial Accounts
Many of us manage our accounts online, which also need to be addressed. Keep track of all of your usernames and passwords, and make sure that your executor or successor trustee has access to them after you pass away. Make lists of all the bills you pay online, your investments, and other apps or accounts that you use.
Many companies will not allow anyone to access an online account without the proper information. While this protects you while you are alive, it can complicate matters after death if you fail to plan. Fortunately, you can make this process much easier as part of the estate planning process.
Consider the Matter With the Help of an Estate Planning Attorney
You can and should incorporate your online accounts into your estate planning package with your attorney. Determine what you want to happen with your online accounts and have your estate planning attorney incorporate this into your future planning so you can rest assured that your accounts will be properly managed. An informed local estate planning lawyer can help, so reach out and ask how they can help you incorporate your online presence into your will.
