You locked your phone.
You protected your accounts.
You used strong passwords.
Great.
But if something happens to you tomorrow, there’s a very real chance your family won’t be able to access any of it. Not your money, not your crypto, not your photos, not even your email.
This is one of the biggest estate planning blind spots I see in Ohio, and it’s becoming more common every year.
Your Digital Life Is an Estate Planning Problem Now
Most people think estate planning is about houses and bank accounts.
In reality, a growing portion of your estate exists behind passwords.
That includes:
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Online banking and investment accounts
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Cryptocurrency and digital wallets
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Email and cloud storage
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Social media accounts
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Online businesses, websites, and monetized content
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: having a will does not automatically give your family access to any of this.
Read more about the Ohio Revised Code – Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Why “They’ll Figure It Out” Rarely Works
Families assume they’ll be able to call the company, show a death certificate, and get access.
That almost never happens.
Most platforms are legally prohibited from granting access unless your estate plan specifically authorizes it. Even your executor can hit a brick wall.
What I see instead:
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Accounts frozen indefinitely
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Crypto lost permanently
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Business revenue cut off overnight
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Personal photos and documents gone for good
Good intentions don’t override privacy laws.
Ohio Law Doesn’t Guess What You Wanted
Ohio law allows executors, trustees, and agents to access digital assets only if your documents clearly say so.
If your estate plan is silent, companies default to no access.
Your plan should spell out:
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Who can access digital accounts
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Which assets they can manage
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Whether content (emails, files, messages) can be viewed
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How online financial assets should be handled
Without that language, your family’s hands are tied.
Cryptocurrency: The Asset That Disappears the Fastest
Cryptocurrency isn’t like a bank account.
If no one has the keys and legal authority, it’s gone.
Not delayed. Not tied up. Gone forever.
This is why crypto holders need more than a basic will. Without planning, I’ve seen families lose access to significant assets with no legal way to recover them.
Why Trusts Matter More in the Digital Age
For people with crypto, online businesses, or complex digital assets, a trust often makes far more sense than a will alone.
A properly structured trust can:
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Avoid probate delays
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Grant immediate authority
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Keep sensitive information private
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Protect business continuity
Trusts aren’t just for the wealthy anymore. They’re for people whose lives exist online.
Please Don’t Put Passwords in Your Will
This is a mistake I see too often.
Wills become public records. Writing passwords in them is like taping your house key to the front door.
A better approach:
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Secure password managers
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Encrypted digital inventories
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Legal authority granted through estate documents
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Access instructions stored separately
Estate planning is about permission first, access second.
The Pattern I See Over and Over
Someone passes away.
The family knows there are digital assets.
No one can access them.
No one knows what’s missing.
By the time they call an attorney, the damage is already done.
This is exactly what proactive estate planning prevents.
If You Live in Ohio, This Is Fixable — But Only If You Plan Ahead
If you have:
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Online financial accounts
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Cryptocurrency
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Digital property or content
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An online business
Your estate plan needs to reflect modern reality, not outdated assumptions.
I help Ohio families make sure their digital lives don’t disappear when they’re gone — and that their loved ones aren’t left guessing.
