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Thread: Do you have a "digital" will?

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    Do you have a "digital" will?

    Just to clarify what I mean, in case that can be taken multiple ways, I don't mean a digital copy of a legal will .... though I would strongly advise anyone with any assets worth passing on, and any care for what happens to them if something permanent befalls you, to get one of those. Don't assume the law will do as you expect because it's very old and won't, necessarily. It'll also be a right pain for whoever ends up doing it.

    I mean, access to your digital life, in the event of an unexpected calamity.

    A few events in my life got me thinking about this relatively recently (last few years) before which I hadn't given it much thought.

    I've now done a little document for my next of kin containing all sorts of useful info, from passport and NI numbers, to copies of birth and marriage certificates, to account numbers for bank and savings, gas, electricity, list of standing orders, how to cancel Amazon Prime, and so on.

    If you've ever had to deal with someone elae's passing, you'll know just how much info you have to collate, and how many people you have to notify, without even considering friends and family.

    The government do have a service called "Tell Us Once" which helps co-ordinate a lot of the goverment departments (from DVLA for driving licence, to HMRC and/or benefits office) but you still have to collate a lot of info to pass to Tell Us Once.

    I know it's a bit morbid to think about, much like doing a will, but I guarantee, the more you can put this together (and keep it up to date for bits that change), the more pressure you will take off loved ones if they find themselves needing it unexpectedly.

    Many of you probably have already done something like this but if you haven't, I do advocate doing it. And for pities sake, get a proper will if you don't already have one.

    And don't do what my mother-in-law did, which is get one, show it to us, take care to make sure we know where to find it then move the bleeping thing !!!!!
    A lesson learned from PeterB about dignity in adversity, so Peter, In Memorium, "Onwards and Upwards".

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    Re: Do you have a "digital" will?

    Yes, I used the notes element in KeePass and a word document to keep track of accounts. Obviously that means giving someone yoy trust the master password for your password manager but it works for me.

    Some things aren't easy to figure out. We have the family plan of Office365 with my account as the owner. Obviously I don't want the whole family to lose their one drive documents etc when I go so I emailed their support to see if ownership can be passed to my wife's account. Apparently not officially. The easiest method is for her to set up her own subscription then migrate the kids over to it. Obviously that means paying 2 subs for 1 month but it does work.

    I'm part of a friends digital will in a way. In the event of his passing I'm to remote into his media server and delete the folder of more... artistic films before his partner finds them.

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    Re: Do you have a "digital" will?

    Quote Originally Posted by Saracen999 View Post

    And don't do what my mother-in-law did, which is get one, show it to us, take care to make sure we know where to find it then move the bleeping thing !!!!!
    My mum's mum did something similar, wrote in the will she had left money for her but left out where the money exactly was! It wasn't until they were clearing out the house the found the money stuffed in the mattress!

    But that aside very good advice thank you
    Jon

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    Re: Do you have a "digital" will?

    Quote Originally Posted by Saracen999 View Post
    Many of you probably have already done something like this but if you haven't, I do advocate doing it. And for pities sake, get a proper will if you don't already have one.
    I`m about to hit 40y. I have numerous health problems but I don`t really care what would happen after my death. After all I`ll be dead.
    I don`t have friends so that is one thing down. As for family - in simple terms I`ll die alone and my body would probably rot to the bones before anyone would notice.

    TLDR; - leaving any kind of will is meaningless for me.

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    Re: Do you have a "digital" will?

    IMHO, i would advise everyone to have a will.
    I believe every October there is something call will Aid, where some solicitors would draw up a basic will for you at a reduced cost, if you make a donation to a charity. Details on the link below.
    https://www.willaid.org.uk/
    I believe you can also enquire about a digital will.
    I hope it helps someone.
    Deo Adjuvante non Timendum

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    Re: Do you have a "digital" will?

    Quote Originally Posted by vicar View Post
    IMHO, i would advise everyone to have a will.
    I believe every October there is something call will Aid, where some solicitors would draw up a basic will for you at a reduced cost, if you make a donation to a charity. Details on the link below.
    https://www.willaid.org.uk/
    I believe you can also enquire about a digital will.
    I hope it helps someone.
    Last time I looked, the charitable donation was a suggestion, not a requirement.

    We used our regular solicitor last time we needed our wills changed, and it was a few hundred quid, which is not a huge amount unless you don't have it, in which case it can be insurmountable.

    I don't quite agree every needs one. But I would say everybody with enough assets to need probate clearance should have one, or they risk much or all or whatever they do have going somewhere other than where they want it to.

    But can i just re-iterate .... this thread explicitly wasn't about wills. it was about "digital" wills.
    A lesson learned from PeterB about dignity in adversity, so Peter, In Memorium, "Onwards and Upwards".

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    Re: Do you have a "digital" will?

    Quote Originally Posted by Saracen999 View Post
    Last time I looked, the charitable donation was a suggestion, not a requirement.

    We used our regular solicitor last time we needed our wills changed, and it was a few hundred quid, which is not a huge amount unless you don't have it, in which case it can be insurmountable.

    I don't quite agree every needs one. But I would say everybody with enough assets to need probate clearance should have one, or they risk much or all or whatever they do have going somewhere other than where they want it to.

    But can i just re-iterate .... this thread explicitly wasn't about wills. it was about "digital" wills.
    My apologies, please ignore all my comments.
    Deo Adjuvante non Timendum

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    Re: Do you have a "digital" will?

    Quote Originally Posted by vicar View Post
    My apologies, please ignore all my comments.
    hat wasn't quite what I meant. It's just that when a fairly major topic (and that is, and the advice was good) gets mentioned in a thread about a relatively niche topic, and then people start replying on it, the usual result is a complete change of thread direction.
    A lesson learned from PeterB about dignity in adversity, so Peter, In Memorium, "Onwards and Upwards".

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