A Nigerian lawyer, Stella Justice, has raised awareness about the importance of including digital assets—such as social media accounts and cryptocurrency—in estate planning. In a viral Facebook post, Justice highlighted the common oversight in preparing wills: people often cover physical assets like houses and cars but neglect to mention their online assets. She warned poignantly that “your passwords can die with you,” urging individuals to treat their digital lives with the same level of care as their tangible legacies.
Justice outlined five practical steps for ensuring that one’s digital footprint doesn’t fade into a void after death. First, she recommended explicitly including social media, email, Bitcoin, online businesses, and other digital properties in one’s will, stirring a fresh conversation about what truly constitutes an estate.
Second, she advised keeping a password record securely stored with a trusted person, a legal practitioner, or in a digital vault. This provides peace of mind, ensuring that loved ones can access and manage your digital assets when you’re gone.
Third on her list was appointing a digital executor, someone legally empowered to handle your online affairs posthumously. This role is critical in managing and executing your digital wishes in accordance with your directives.
Justice’s fourth recommendation was activating “legacy options” offered by platforms such as Facebook and Google. These features allow users to designate someone who can oversee their accounts when they’re no longer around, transforming what was once a blind spot into a clearly managed transition.
Lastly, she urged regular updates to password records and account lists “change is constant,” she said. As people update passwords and add new services to their digital ecosystem, their estate plans must keep pace. A house may pass to your children, but so too should your “digital empire”.
Reactions from social media users were overwhelmingly positive. Commenters praised her insight and the timely nature of the advice, with one user joking that only their children would be trusted with such sensitive information, while others commended Justice’s relatable, humble approach in contrast to the legal field’s stereotype of arrogance.
In a world where our online presence often outlives us, Stella Justice’s guidance invites Nigerians and internet users everywhere to rethink what it means to leave a legacy—one that’s not just material, but digital too.
