What's Your Digital Estate Plan?

Question

I'd like to hear from HNers about what measures you've taken to ensure that your digital life is safely and respectfully handled after your death. * Passwords * Email accounts * Social media accounts * Google Docs etc * Photos * Git repos * Personal sites * Domain names I've been using a password manager with multiple vaults for many years but this feels insufficient.There are some assets that I'd like to delete upon my death, and others I'd like to make sure are passed onto my wife and children.My gut tells me that this is beyond the capabilities of traditional lawyers. Is there a way to automate it?[Edit: formatting]

nonrandomstring · Accepted Answer

You're talking about the "Bus envelope".
Pick a person, a trusted loved one or family member likely to survive you, and let them know where those written instructions are.
It's well within the remit of existing lawyers and I advise you involve one. Wills are standard documents. If there are time-critical actions make it a legal instrument that precedes any transfer of responsibility to an executor (who may not end up being the trusted party you designated and probate can drag on for years in complex cases.
Yes it's a security risk because you'll need to write some things down including passwords. Tell them a password in advance that they'll never forget and anticipate that they may be in shock or unable to follow complex time-critical instructions at the time. Use a unique shared secret like "Remember what that bird was singing when it sat on the balcony on our honeymoon night?"
Many people in service are required to leave a "professional will". Clients need to be informed. Debts paid. Records destroyed (there are many legitimate circumstances for this).
And god willing, it never happens for you.

eimrine · Answer

I don't see a needness to care about any of that except funds - bitcoins and bank accounts if any. Former might to be tattoed as a qr in nasty parts of a body which is hard to be observed and therefore decoded without my knowing. And latter has not any reasons to be a secret from the family. Last but not least is an access to my phone number but it depends of circumstances of my death like will my body be burned (with my clothes and everything in pockets which is common during war which is going on my backyard) or will I be robbed. So sorry that it is impossible to duplicate my phone if the phone to which my digital life is bounded is going to be carried everywhere, because why not to have an access to my digital life from everywhere.

version_five · Answer

Safe deposit box with my password manager info in it (and my wife has a key and box access). Anything I want to die with me is not in there. I still have more work to do to organize my affairs but for now it's better than nothing.

asteroidp · Answer

I have passwords and instructions. The directions are "burn it all to the ground"