From our “Ask a Question” Mailbag: My friend created a website with valuable information. He died unexpectedly and it seems that his executor is allowing his hosting account to lapse. Could the executor access this information and sell it for the estate?

Most Recently Updated July 31, 2018.

New Jersey Estate Planning for Websites

New Jersey Estate Planning for Websites

The ownership of the website, the data thereon, and the ability of the Executor to gather and use or sell that date will depend on the agreement your friend signed with the host. The Executor has the power to ask questions about the site and gather information about the site. This can be a slow and laborious process if your friend did not leave information about accessing the account.

Naming an Appropriate Executor

As a regular practice, we help our clients by sending out three times a year a summary of the location of all assets and information about accessing that data. This makes the Executor’s job much easier and much less expensive. It could be that your friend named an Executor who is unfamiliar with websites and has decided to abandon the site. This could be a problem for the Executor, as should the heirs prove to a court that the Executor allowed a valuable asset to be wasted, the courts could force the Executor to pay for the loss out of the Executor’s own funds.

If you have ownership over a website which you believe should continue after your death or should be sold at your death, it is important to name an Executor who understands the asset and can comprehend its value and the process by which it can be sold.

More Planning Questions?

Estate Planning for Websites is only a piece of the Estate Planning process. By all means, if you want to learn more, please read my more detailed article, Estate Planning Everything You Need to Know.

In Conclusion: New Jersey Estate Planning for Websites

I hope that this article was helpful in explaining Estate Planning for Websites. Further, I included links to even more detailed information on my website so you can learn more. Therefore, please contact me and let me know how I did. Certainly, your comments and questions are welcome!

Let our Estate Planning lawyers help walk you through what can be a confusing process. To begin with, call to speak to one of our experienced estate planning lawyers.  By all means, our lawyers are ready to answer your questions. In fact, feel free to contact our office for a free consultation. Ultimately our goal is to make the process as painless as possible!

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