Connectionsb2b Business Magazine sponsored by Parfitt Cresswell Solicitors is a bi-monthly feature which offers top strategies, tips and experiences from successful business owners and entrepreneurs. Speaking on Connectionsb2b’s Legal Chat platform, solicitor Nicola Manning explores the question of what happens to digital assets when their owner becomes deceased.
In a world where online photographs and social media is prevalent and online banking and cryptocurrency are growing in usage, the reality is that the average person is accumulating more and more digital content that will form part of their estate.
Nicola Manning has been a practicing solicitor for almost 40 years, spending 20 of those in senior management and compliance roles. She has worked in both City and High Street practices, working for Parfitt Cresswell since March 2020.
During her career, Manning has served as an external panel deputy for the Court of Protection and put together her own private client team. Her expertise lies in helping Parfitt Cresswell clients quickly and sensitively navigate the complex process of estate administration in what is usually a challenging and stressful period.
Regarding digital assets, Manning therefore advises that it is important for people when compiling their wills to consider who is to have access to these and how they will access them when they die.
Manning says: “Nobody likes to contemplate their own mortality, but in today’s ever changing digital age it is important to consider this question in order to ensure your loved ones and those you care about do not experience any unnecessary heartache and financial distress due to a lack of forward planning.”
She goes on to discuss what would happen to the deceased’s digital assets if they are not covered in a will, and explains how one can ensure that these assets are entrusted to the right people.
Nicola Manning’s episode of Connectionsb2b’s Legal Chat exploring ‘what happens to digital assets after death?’ can be accessed in full here.
