What happens if you die or become incapacitated, and nobody else knows any of those passwords, personal identification numbers (PINs), access codes and login IDs? Unless you’ve taken steps to secure your “digital estate,” the answer to that question is: A lengthy period of “digital probate.” There are no federal laws regulating access to and inheritance of digital property.
Only 29 states have established laws to protect digital assets and to provide a deceased person’s family with rights and procedures to access and manage those assets after death. Even then, the procedures can be complex, lengthy and expensive.