Digital Assets and Your Estate: A Scottish Preparation Guide
A security-conscious guide to identifying digital assets, recording safe references and preparing executors without exposing credentials.
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Plan for discovery without exposing access secrets
Digital estate preparation means identifying online accounts, digital property and important data, deciding what matters, and leaving safe information that helps an executor find the right provider or professional. It does not mean placing passwords in a will or giving someone instructions to bypass account security.
For each relevant item, record the provider, the purpose of the account, whether it may contain financial or sentimental value, and where authorised access or recovery instructions are held securely. Do not put passwords, passkeys, recovery codes, private keys, seed phrases or device PINs in WillWise, a will, an ordinary email or this inventory.
Digital assets can be easy to overlook because there may be no paper statement and because access to an account is not necessarily the same as ownership of its content. Provider terms, intellectual-property rights, data protection, contracts, security controls, tax and succession law can all matter. A Scottish solicitor can help place the inventory in the wider estate plan and identify where specialist advice is needed.
What may count as a digital asset?
The expression is broad. It can describe an asset that exists digitally, an online route to a conventional asset, data with personal importance, or an account governed by a service contract. Not everything listed below will form part of an estate in the same way.
Email accounts
Email may contain correspondence, receipts, account-recovery links and clues to other services. Record the provider and address, its importance, and whether the provider offers a legacy or inactive-account process. Do not give an executor permission to impersonate you or access messages contrary to law or provider terms.
Social media and messaging
Accounts may contain photographs, conversations and communities but usually operate under platform rules. A service might offer memorialisation, deletion, archive download or a nominated legacy contact. Record your preference and the setting used. Do not assume a statement in a will overrides the provider's process.
Cloud storage, photographs and personal files
Cloud drives, photo libraries and backups can hold irreplaceable family material as well as confidential records belonging to other people. Identify the service and broad contents, whether copies exist elsewhere, and who should receive personal material. Separate sentimental wishes from any legal ownership or privacy question.
Websites, domains and digital businesses
Domains, hosting, websites, online shops, advertising accounts, source code, customer systems and marketplace profiles may have operational or financial value. Record registrars, hosts, renewal dates, business ownership and key professional contacts. A business-continuity plan should not rely on one person's personal login.
Online subscriptions
Streaming, software, publications, storage and memberships can create ongoing charges. List important subscriptions and the payment source so an executor can approach providers through their official bereavement or closure process. Access rights are often personal and may not be transferable.
Online financial accounts
Online banking, investments, payment services and lending accounts are usually digital access points to conventional financial rights and obligations. Record the institution and a partial reference sufficient to identify the relationship. Never record login or authentication details. Executors should contact the institution and prove their authority through its formal process.
Intellectual property
Copyright in writing, photographs, music, video, software, designs and other creative work may have value even when the files are stored on a third-party platform. Record creators, collaborators, licences, royalty arrangements and where original files or contracts are held. Ownership and platform access should be considered separately.
Cryptocurrency and similar cryptoassets
Cryptoassets require particular care because control may depend on cryptographic credentials, transactions may be irreversible, and recovery arrangements vary. HMRC states that cryptoassets can be property for Inheritance Tax purposes. That does not determine every ownership, valuation, tax or succession question.
For preparation, record only:
the type of holding at a high level;
whether it is held through an exchange, custodian or self-custody arrangement;
the name of any regulated or professional contact;
where a separate, secure recovery plan is held; and
whether records exist for acquisition, disposal, valuation and tax.
Do not enter a wallet seed phrase, private key, recovery code, exchange password or complete access instructions in WillWise. Do not split a secret across ordinary documents in a way that merely creates several insecure copies. Ask an appropriately experienced solicitor, tax adviser and security professional how to create a lawful, resilient plan without exposing the asset during your lifetime.
This guide does not explain how to gain access to a wallet or account. Anyone administering an estate should establish their legal authority and use the provider's or custodian's recognised process where one exists.
Devices are not the same as their contents
Phones, computers, tablets, external drives and security keys may contain or unlock important information. Ownership of a physical device does not automatically answer whether another person may access every account, communication or file on it.
Record the device type, its purpose, who owns it and where approved recovery arrangements are documented. For work equipment, note the employer or business contact. For shared devices, identify other people's privacy and ownership interests. Avoid writing a device PIN on the device, placing it in a will, or giving broad credentials to someone who has no current authority.
Encryption is an important protection, not an obstacle to be weakened casually. A suitable plan should preserve security during life while making legitimate administration possible after death or incapacity.
Use platform legacy settings where appropriate
Some platforms allow a user to nominate a legacy contact, decide whether an account should be memorialised, arrange deletion, or specify what data can be released after inactivity. These settings can be useful because they work within the provider's own authentication and terms.
For each important platform:
locate its current official legacy, inactive-account or bereavement guidance;
decide whether the available setting reflects your wishes;
nominate someone only after discussing the role with them;
record that the setting has been configured, without copying secrets; and
review it when the provider or your relationships change.
Features, terms and data-release rules can change. Keep the inventory platform-neutral and link to the service rather than copying a process that may become obsolete.
Passwords do not belong in a will
A will may eventually be seen by multiple people during administration and can become part of court processes. It is not a password vault. A password written into a will can become outdated, expose other accounts where credentials were reused, compromise security during life and still fail to give lawful authority after death.
WillWise is also not a credential manager. Record where a secure credential or recovery plan is held, not the credential itself.
The National Cyber Security Centre advises considering how a password manager protects encryption keys, handles recovery and supports multi-factor authentication. If you use one:
protect it with a strong, unique master credential and suitable multi-factor authentication;
understand whether and how recovery works;
review any emergency-access or trusted-contact feature before enabling it;
check what the nominated person can see and when;
avoid insecure plain-text exports; and
keep the estate inventory separate from the vault's access secret.
Emergency access is a product feature, not a universal legal solution. Confirm that its operation fits your wishes and professional advice.
Safe digital-asset inventory checklist
Use this checklist to create a map, not a collection of secrets.
[ ] List relevant email addresses and providers.
[ ] List social and messaging platforms with a preferred high-level outcome.
[ ] Identify cloud storage, photo libraries and backups.
[ ] Record domains, registrars, hosting and renewal responsibilities.
[ ] Identify online shops, monetised channels and digital-business systems.
[ ] List material subscriptions and recurring digital charges.
[ ] Record financial institutions and partial account references only.
[ ] Identify creative works, licences, royalties and intellectual-property contacts.
[ ] Record devices and security hardware by type and purpose.
[ ] Note whether each platform has a legacy or bereavement setting.
[ ] Identify cryptoassets only at the level needed for professional preparation.
[ ] Record where the separate secure recovery process is held.
[ ] Note the solicitor, accountant, tax adviser or technology contact who may help.
[ ] Classify each entry as financial, business, sentimental, administrative or private.
[ ] State the intended high-level outcome: preserve, transfer if possible, archive, memorialise, close or seek advice.
[ ] Check that no password, PIN, passkey, private key, seed phrase or recovery code appears in the inventory.
[ ] Store the inventory securely and tell the appropriate person how to locate it.
[ ] Date the inventory and set a review reminder.
For each entry, a useful minimum is: category, provider, account or asset reference, purpose, likely value type, preferred outcome, secure-instructions location, professional contact and last-reviewed date.
Do not include unnecessary personal messages, full bank numbers or identity documents. An executor needs enough information to identify and approach the right organisation, not unrestricted access to your digital life.
Executor access, authority and provider terms
An executor is responsible for administering the estate, but a nomination does not automatically make every login method lawful or effective. Platforms may restrict transfer, prohibit credential sharing, require a death certificate and confirmation, or offer only deletion or limited data release. Accounts may also contain confidential information belonging to other people.
Prepare the executor by:
explaining that digital assets exist and where the inventory is held;
identifying which items may have estate, business or tax significance;
naming specialist contacts without giving them present access;
recording platform legacy choices;
distinguishing personal accounts from employer, client or jointly owned systems; and
directing them to seek advice before accessing, transferring or deleting anything uncertain.
Do not instruct an executor to misrepresent their identity, defeat multi-factor authentication, exploit a logged-in device or circumvent a provider's security. A solicitor can help establish authority and contact the platform or relevant specialist.
Keep secrets out of preparation records. Never put passwords, device PINs, recovery codes, security answers, private keys or seed phrases in WillWise, a will, an ordinary document or email.
Do not weaken security for convenience. A plan that exposes access during life creates a greater and more immediate risk. Use secure, reviewed recovery arrangements.
Authority comes before access. Possessing a password does not necessarily grant ownership or legal permission. Executors should use official procedures and professional advice.
Minimise other people's data. Email, messages, shared drives and business systems may contain confidential or personal information about others.
Verify requests independently. Bereavement and digital-asset administration can attract fraud. Use official provider contact details and do not send credentials in response to an unsolicited request.
Common mistakes
Treating digital assets as only social media
Banking relationships, intellectual property, businesses, domains, subscriptions, cryptoassets, cloud files and devices may matter too.
Listing passwords beside account names
This turns a useful inventory into a high-value security risk. Record a reference to the secure recovery arrangement instead.
Assuming access means ownership
A login can expose data without transferring contractual or property rights. Provider terms and the nature of the underlying asset must be checked.
Relying on one device
A device can fail, be wiped, remain encrypted or belong to an employer. Keep an inventory and appropriate backups without disabling security.
Forgetting recurring charges and domains
Subscriptions may continue and domains or hosting may expire. Record renewal details and the payment relationship.
Ignoring co-owned and business material
Shared photos, collaborative work, customer data and company systems can involve other people's rights and legal duties.
Making a plan once
Accounts close, providers change their policies and security methods evolve. An outdated map may send an executor to the wrong place.
Review the inventory regularly
Review after opening or closing an important account, changing password manager, buying or disposing of a digital asset, starting a digital business, creating valuable work, changing executor, or enabling a new platform legacy setting. A brief periodic review should also check:
the provider and account reference remain accurate;
the intended outcome still reflects your wishes;
secure recovery arrangements still work without revealing them;
professional contacts are current;
important business and tax records are retained; and
obsolete entries can be removed safely.
Record the review date. Do not copy secrets into the inventory while testing them.
Prepare a clear digital overview for your solicitor
WillWise can help you record digital-asset categories, provider references, high-level wishes and the location of separate secure instructions alongside the rest of your preparation. It should never contain the credentials themselves.
Start your WillWise preparation, then take the overview to a Scottish solicitor. Ask which assets should be addressed in the will, which depend on ownership or provider terms, and whether tax, intellectual-property, business or technical advice is needed. What Information Do You Need Before Making a Will in Scotland? helps place the inventory within the wider estate overview, while the Scottish Estate-Planning Checklist coordinates digital planning with property, pensions, insurance and legal documents.
This guide provides general information for Scotland and is not legal advice. WillWise is not a law firm and does not provide legal, tax, financial or cyber-security advice. It does not create a will, transfer a digital asset, grant an executor access or guarantee that a platform will follow a stated preference. Do not use this guide to bypass account security or provider procedures. Seek advice from a Scottish solicitor and other suitably qualified professionals about your circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
What is a digital asset for estate-planning purposes?
The term can cover digital property, online routes to conventional assets, accounts, data, intellectual property and material with sentimental value. Ownership, access and transferability may differ, so each item needs to be identified rather than treated alike.
Should I put passwords in my will or WillWise preparation?
No. Do not put passwords, passkeys, recovery codes, private keys, seed phrases, security answers or device PINs in either. Record only where a separate secure recovery arrangement is held.
Can my executor simply log in to my accounts?
Do not assume so. Legal authority, provider terms, privacy, ownership and account-security rules may apply. An executor should use official provider processes and obtain professional advice where access or transfer is uncertain.
Should I use a password manager's emergency-access feature?
It may form part of a plan, but features and security models vary. Understand when access activates, what the nominated person receives, recovery risks and multi-factor options before enabling it.
How should cryptocurrency be recorded?
Record the type of holding at a high level, whether it uses a custodian or self-custody, relevant professional contacts and where a separate secure recovery plan is held. Never enter keys or seed phrases in WillWise or an ordinary inventory.
Do platform legacy settings replace a will?
No. They can help a provider act within its own system, but they do not replace estate planning or determine every ownership and succession question. Coordinate important choices with a Scottish solicitor.
How often should I review a digital-asset inventory?
Review it after important account, business, security, executor or provider-setting changes, and periodically. Check references and secure arrangements without copying secrets into the inventory.
Sources
Authoritative references used to support and review this guide.
