Probate practitioners call for change surrounding digital assets

The law surrounding the digital assets of someone who has died is still lacking in clarity and probate practitioners are calling for this to be addressed.

The call for legislative change is to help families access the ‘digital assets’ of relatives who have died. These are digital items that can have monetary or sentimental value,  such as a digital photographs, social media accounts, internet domain names, and cryptocurrencies.

Queries surrounding digital assets arise from almost 60% of clients when discussing inheritance. Around 1/4 of clients are said to have difficulties accessing the digital assets of a family member.

A report on the study by  STEP – a professional body for inheritance planning advisers, concluded that law reform is needed to enable effective estate planning and administration.

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Partner and probate expert Lindsey Rawson discusses what happens to digital assets here.