Start with an inventory, not passwords

A digital asset plan needs to explain what exists, who may act and where useful records can be found. These are different questions. A will may address ownership and authority, but it is a poor place for changing passwords or wallet recovery words. Copies may circulate among professionals and family members, and documents filed with a court may become accessible under local rules.

List categories such as online businesses, domains, photographs, exchange accounts and self-custody wallets. Record which assets you own and which are licensed access to a service. Your adviser needs enough context to plan the estate without receiving every secret needed to control it.

Ask a qualified adviser about authority

Ask which law applies to you and each asset, who should administer it, and whether the proposed recipient is entitled to receive the information. Do not assume an account password grants permission to log in, withdraw money or impersonate its owner. Provider legacy tools, contractual restrictions and local succession rules can affect the route available.

Agree how your will, any power of attorney, provider settings and separate instructions fit together. A named technical helper may assist the executor without having independent legal authority. Avoid using a generic online clause as a finished legal document. Laws change, and cross-border assets can require more than one adviser.

Keep the recovery record separate

Maintain a private inventory with official provider addresses, document locations, adviser contacts and the date each entry was checked. Keep passwords and wallet secrets in a deliberately chosen recovery arrangement rather than a general family message. Ask the custodian how access is verified and what happens if the person or firm becomes unavailable.

ZeroLatch can deliver a scoped inventory and instructions after a missed check-in and safety period. It does not transfer assets, establish legal authority or confirm death. Simple permits authorised service-managed key recovery; Private requires a separate password or ZeroLatch recovery phrase. Neither option replaces an independent backup or a real recipient rehearsal. Start with harmless information and read the security model and backup checklist.

Review after meaningful changes

When you change a provider, acquire an asset, replace a device or appoint another trusted person, review both the legal documents and practical instructions. Use fictional accounts to rehearse the sequence. Ask the recipient to explain the first step in their own words and identify where they would ask for help. Keep a dated copy of the tested instructions in the independent backup location.