Online Wills & Holistic Legacy Preservation

Step 6 — Prepare an Executor Access Plan

Executors handle digital estates under increasing legal scrutiny. Prepare them thoroughly.

Your Executor Pack Should Include:

1. Contact sheet: solicitor, accountant, executor, and next of kin.
2. Vault access: instructions for using online executor tools; printed recovery codes if offline verification is needed.
3. Asset summary: high-level overview of categories and estimated values.
4. Legal documents: will, enduring power of attorney, death certificate (when available).
5. Timeline checklist:

• Notify service providers (utilities, insurance, etc.).
• Begin closure/transfer of accounts.
• Archive memory materials (photos, videos, letters).
• Delete temporary data and cancel subscriptions.

Your executor should run a “test access” rehearsal while you’re alive — supervised login, viewing sample files, checking permissions. Update notes in /07_Audit_Logs/Test_Access_YYYY-MM-DD.

This practice aligns with NIST’s “Protect and Recover” functions, ensuring operational continuity under privacy and cybersecurity principles (NIST Privacy Framework).

Step 7 — Create Your Digital Backup and Redundancy Cycle

Every plan decays over time. Hardware fails, passwords change, new services appear. Build a review and refresh cycle.

Frequency

Action

Notes

Monthly- Add new accounts to your inventory - Sync with password manager export

Quarterly- Test vault access, MFA recovery codes - Run executor rehearsal once per year

Biannual- Verify backups (open files, confirm readability) - Re-encrypt if needed

Annual - Update directives, passwords, and legal documents- Log “Digital Legacy Review YYYY”

After major events

(Marriage, divorce, move, diagnosis, business change)

Review roles and access

Automate reminders through your calendar app or vault’s task scheduler.

The NCSC and ACSC both recommend “secure lifecycle management”—regular updates, tested recovery, and sunset reviews for unused accounts (NCSC online security tips; cyber.gov.au).

Step 8 — Include Sentimental and Narrative Elements

A digital legacy is not only transactional. Emotional assets—stories, photos, and messages—give human depth to the estate.

Capture:

• Video diaries or voice notes describing major memories.
• Letters to loved ones scheduled for release at key milestones.
• Curated photos with captions and context.
• Playlist or document of favourite music, recipes, or readings.

Store:

Inside /Memory_Vault, create folders such as /Voice_Messages, /Photo_Stories, and /Letters.

Protect:

Tag these as “Non-financial Legacy” in your asset index so they receive equal preservation priority.

Digital storytelling builds legacy continuity, strengthens family connection, and supports grief processing for survivors.

Step 9 — Legal and Ethical Considerations

Jurisdiction and Access

Different countries treat digital assets differently. For instance, U.S. states often follow the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA), while Australia and the UK rely on privacy and succession laws. Executors need explicit written consent.

Include a clear Digital Asset Authority Statement in your estate documents:

“I authorise my executor to access, manage, and delete my digital assets, including email, cloud storage, and social media, in accordance with my written directives.”

Attach this statement to your online testament and store a copy in your vault’s /Legal folder.

Privacy Protection

Follow the NIST Privacy Framework: collect and share only what’s necessary; log who has access and when. Delete outdated or irrelevant data after audits.

Cultural and Ethical Sensitivity

Be mindful of who appears in photos and recordings, especially minors or non-consenting adults. Include a “consent and usage” note for each major media folder.

Step 10 — The Comprehensive Digital Legacy Checklist

Below is your condensed, printable checklist — ready to copy into your vault or print for your executor.

DIGITAL LEGACY CHECKLIST (aligned to Evaheld Vault)

1. DIGITAL INVENTORY

☐ List all online accounts and assets (financial, social, creative, administrative).

☐ Include account type, URL, username, storage reference.

☐ Categorise as Essential, Legacy, or To Delete.

☐ Store index file in /01_Essential.

2. PASSWORD MANAGEMENT

☐ Use unique passwords for every account.

☐ Store in password manager, not in plain text.

☐ Enable multifactor authentication (MFA).

☐ Note recovery processes for each system.

3. STORAGE AND BACKUPS

☐ Implement 3-2-1 backup system.

☐ Keep at least one encrypted cloud copy.

☐ Verify backups twice yearly.

☐ Log locations and last tested date.

4. DIGITAL DIRECTIVES

☐ Draft written instructions for each asset type.

☐ Specify retention, deletion, or transfer.

☐ Reference platform legacy options.

☐ Sign and date directives; upload to /02_Legacy.

5. SECURITY AUDIT

☐ Review access permissions quarterly.

☐ Conduct test login with executor annually.

☐ Document last audit date in /Audit_Logs.

☐ Follow CISA Secure Our World and ACSC security guidelines.

6. EXECUTOR PREPARATION

☐ Assign primary and backup digital executors.

☐ Provide access credentials and recovery codes.

☐ Prepare printed instructions in sealed envelope.

☐ Conduct supervised rehearsal.

7. LEGAL DOCUMENTATION

☐ Include digital asset clause in your will.

☐ Upload signed PDF to /Legal.

☐ Store digital Power of Attorney and Advance Care Directive.

☐ Confirm witnesses and solicitor contact.

8. SENTIMENTAL ASSETS

☐ Record 5–10 voice or video messages.

☐ Curate photo albums with captions.

☐ Store creative works (letters, music, recipes).

☐ Tag as “Non-financial Legacy”.

9. ACCESS & PERMISSIONS

☐ Assign viewer, editor, admin roles in the vault.

☐ Log permissions file /Permissions.txt.

☐ Update when relationships or roles change.

10. BACKUP & REVIEW CYCLE

☐ Monthly: add new accounts.

☐ Quarterly: test access.

☐ Annual: update directives, passwords, and legal docs.

☐ After major life events: re-audit entire vault.