Digital Legacy and Planning
What is the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA)?
Short answer
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 this usually means
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 access a catalog of accounts but not necessarily the content. Knowing this law exists helps you assert legal authority with platforms that resist.
What to do next
- Start the PathAfter checklist for situation-aware first steps.
- Find California county phone numbers for coroner, vital records, and local offices.
- Open the First 72 Hours Call Log before making calls.
- Open the Documents to Find Checklist when you are ready for paperwork.