Society exists mainly online these days. Instead of physical filing cabinets with all of your information, most of your important documents or photos might exist on your Google account. Many websites are giving people the option to say what happens to their account in the case of their death, and your Google account is no different.
What is in your Google account?
Google lets you manage emails, photos, documents, even addresses. They’re also required for Android devices and Chromebook computers, so even if you don’t use a Google account daily, you might have one.
Google accounts come with a drive to manage all your documents, a photo app to manage all your photos, as well as an email. It’s a good idea to go through each of these places to make sure there are no surprises before you include it in your estate planning.
Managing your estate planning within the Google account
Google provides a setting in your account that allows you to choose what happens with your account when you pass away. You can access this through myaccount.google.com, and then clicking “Data & Personalization” from the menu. After that, scroll down and select “Make A Plan For Your Account.”
From there, Google will ask you a few questions, like how much time before Google considers your account inactive. It’ll also ask you for the email addresses of 10 contacts who will be able to access your account information. It should include your lawyer and whoever should be the executor of the will according to your estate plan.
How to manage your digital assets
A lot goes in to managing your digital assets for after you’ve die. While there’s tons of built-in ways to manage your accounts, it’s still important to name an executor and address your digital assets when estate planning. If you need help picking a person who can manage your digital assets and accounts, or need help creating your will, reach out to an attorney.
