With more and more of our social and financial lives being managed online, a Tauranga law firm is urging people to consider appointing a digital executor this Wills Month.

Much like Daylight Saving is used as a reminder to check your smoke alarms, September, which is Wills Month, provides the perfect opportunity to make a will or update an existing one, says Lyon O'Neale Arnold associate Nick Earl.

'One aspect that people may not have thought about is what will happen to their digital footprint after they die.”

Your ‘digital assets' might include photos on social media websites, emails, texts, blogs and avatars on online games. If you die, and these are password protected, it falls to your loved ones to seek access and make decisions about what should be done with them, adds Nick.

'For instance, if you have a Facebook account, do you want it shut down after your death, or kept online as a memorial page?

'Some people find comfort in keeping a Facebook page live, but others prefer to download the entire content offline so they can sort through it privately.

'If you want your email, social media and other accounts to be accessible after your death, you might want to record your password and login details in a safe place, and stipulate in your will where these can be found, and who should have access to them.”

Most web services require proof that the person has in fact passed away and that you have permission to access their account. For example, Google requires proof of death, proof of your relationship with the person and a probate or court order stating that you are the lawful representative of the deceased's estate.

'The reality is that we are living in a digital world and it is not just physical possessions that we leave behind when we depart this world. It's no longer as simple as sorting through a box of papers and photographs. It would be prudent to consider your online life and how you want that to be managed in the event of your death,” says Nick.

'Appointing a digital executor in your will can help to both ease the stress on friends and family at what is already an extremely stressful time and ensure that your wishes are carried out.”