My mother kept a little black book. Not the fun kind filled with suitors’ phone numbers; rather, a binder that contained her accounts, passwords and ongoing bills. When an out-of-the-blue cancer diagnosis took my mom from independent woman to completely disabled within weeks, the book was my caregiving road map. It held information that she very suddenly could not remember nor convey, but that I needed to keep the gears of her life turning.

With the book, I kept the utilities on at my mother’s house, paid her mortgage and other bills, and handled insurance, work benefits and disability applications. When she died, the book helped me liquidate her assets, finalize her debts, and share the news of her passing through her email accounts and social media.

My mom’s estate planning legal documents did not include a digital plan, which was not uncommon in 2010 when she made her will. So, even though she told me I had permission, I had no true legal authority to access her online accounts and digital property. Her foresight in creating the little black book helped me get by, but there is certainly a better way and many more options for digital planning today than there were even a few short years ago.

Why digital planning matters

Our digital assets (websites we own, blogs, art, music, writing, business websites, cryptocurrency and so much more) and digital information (email, social media and banking accounts) exist in our digital devices such as our computers and smartphones.

Most states have passed laws that give a person’s family or executor the right to access and manage digital assets, information and devices after the person dies. But it is imperative to write out clear instructions for your family/executor and to keep the instructions updated to help them handle your final affairs.

Equally important is that we give someone authority to access and manage digital assets and information before we die. Here’s why: In many households, adults split the duties. One opens utilities accounts and pays those, another handles the car insurance, and so on. Family members may keep separate bank accounts that receive direct deposits or cover certain bills. In one-member households, the individual handles everything and usually in their name solely. Whether living independently or with others, many of us don’t think about who would take over (and how!) if we were suddenly unable to handle our day-to-day life due to a medical crisis or catastrophe.

Perhaps because of that, 1 in 3 caregivers say a top caregiving challenge is locating passwords and accounts, and 49 percent don’t have legal authorization to ask providers (such as banks, credit card companies, email services) to disclose any details or give them access to known accounts. You cannot simply ask a provider for permission to handle another person’s digital life; criminal and data privacy laws prevent providers from giving access and information away. A caregiver without proper paperwork is unlikely to be successful without court intervention. A thorough digital plan can prevent headaches and unnecessary expenses for our future caregivers.