PathAfter FAQ
Digital Legacy and Planning
Focused answers for people handling the first days, paperwork, and follow-up steps after a death in California.
Start checklistSurviving spouse, financial predators, and digital estate
What is a digital estate plan?A document that lists all digital assets, accounts, and access credentials — and instructions for what to do with each. It should include: usernames and passwords (or location of password manager), private keys for cryptocurrency, instructions for each social media account (memorialize…What should I do now with my own digital accounts after experiencing this?Set up a legacy contact on Facebook. Use Apple's Legacy Contact feature. Designate a trusted person in your password manager. Write a digital estate addendum to your will. Store it somewhere your executor can find it. This is the most powerful thing…What is a legacy contact on Facebook and how do I set one up?A legacy contact manages your memorialized Facebook profile after you die — they can post a final message, update your profile photo, and respond to friend requests. Go to Settings → Memorialization Settings → Choose Legacy Contact. You can also choose to…What happens to digital purchases — iTunes, Kindle books, Google Play?Digital purchases are typically licenses, not owned assets — they cannot be transferred or inherited. Your iTunes library, Kindle books, and Google Play purchases may not be accessible to heirs after the account is closed. Physical books, CDs, and DVDs can be…What about NFTs and digital art?NFTs are stored on a blockchain and transferred through the owner's wallet. Without the private key or access to the wallet, the NFT cannot be transferred — same issue as cryptocurrency. If the deceased held NFTs of significant value, a blockchain forensics…What if the deceased had an online business with employees or contractors?Notify them promptly — do not leave people wondering if they will be paid. The estate is responsible for honoring contracts and paying for work completed. Treat this like any other business succession — with legal counsel involved quickly.What about their Venmo, Cash App, or Zelle transaction history?Transaction history may be useful for understanding the deceased's financial picture — what they were paying for, who they were sending money to. Access requires either the app on their phone (if accessible) or a formal estate request to the platform. Balances…What if the deceased had a significant online gaming account or virtual currency?Online gaming accounts and virtual currency (World of Warcraft gold, Fortnite V-Bucks, Steam Wallet, etc.) are technically non-transferable per most terms of service. However, rare items or accounts can have real market value. The estate cannot officially transfer these, but in practice…What is the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA)?A law adopted in California (Probate Code 870-884) that gives executors and trustees legal authority to access digital assets, subject to the user's expressed wishes (in an online tool, will, or trust). If the deceased did not express wishes, the fiduciary can…What is the single most important digital estate step I can take right now?Write down your passwords — or the location of your password manager and its master password — and store it with your will or in a sealed envelope with your executor. Tell that person where it is. This one step prevents months…