This standard defines the components of a complete Digital Family Folder — the pre-death document package prepared by an individual to enable efficient digital estate administration by surviving family members and the designated digital executor. It specifies what must be included, how it should be stored, and how it should be maintained over time.
This standard applies to the pre-death document package prepared by an individual — referred to throughout this standard as the "account holder" — to support digital estate administration after their death or incapacity.
This standard covers the required and recommended components of the Digital Family Folder, storage requirements, maintenance obligations, and access protocols. It is designed for use by individuals in estate planning contexts and by estate planning attorneys advising clients on digital estate preparation.
Distinction from VLS-001: VLS-001 defines the Digital Estate Inventory — the account-level documentation of what exists. VLS-003 defines the Digital Family Folder — the broader package of documents, instructions, and access information that a family needs after death. The inventory (VLS-001) is a required component of the Digital Family Folder (VLS-003), but the folder contains significantly more.
An adequate Digital Family Folder under this standard contains the following components. Each component serves a distinct purpose. Omitting any mandatory component reduces the folder's effectiveness and may significantly complicate administration after death.
A completed inventory meeting the requirements of VLS-001. This is the foundational account-level document that identifies what exists and what should be done with it. Required in full.
Written designation of the named digital executor as defined in VLS-002, including their contact information and a brief statement of their scope of authority.
For each device the account holder owns — phone, laptop, tablet — the location of separately stored, secured access instructions. The Digital Family Folder should not contain device passcodes or PINs in plain text. Instead, it should document that such instructions exist and where they are held securely (e.g., "Device access instructions are in the sealed envelope in the home safe").
For each email account: the address, the recovery phone number, whether legacy or inactive account settings have been configured, and the location of separately stored access instructions. The Digital Family Folder should not contain email passwords in plain text.
If the account holder uses a password manager — the name of the service, whether emergency access or legacy contact has been configured, and who the designated emergency contact is. The master password should not be stored in the Digital Family Folder itself. If no password manager is used, this component should be noted as not applicable.
The name, account number, and contact information for the 3 to 5 financial institutions most important to the estate. This enables immediate action on time-sensitive financial matters without requiring a full account search first.
Name and contact information for: the estate attorney, the CPA or tax advisor, and any financial advisor. These are the first professional contacts the digital executor should make after securing devices and documents.
For exchange-held cryptocurrency: the exchange name and associated email. For self-custody cryptocurrency: the location of the seed phrase. If the account holder holds no cryptocurrency, this component should be explicitly noted as not applicable.
A Digital Family Folder should not contain active account passwords, password-manager master passwords, complete recovery codes, private cryptographic keys, or device passcodes in ordinary readable form.
Where credential continuity is necessary, the folder should document: the system in which credentials are maintained; whether emergency-access features are enabled; the trusted person authorized to initiate the process; and the location of a separate sealed or encrypted access instruction. The Digital Family Folder and the credentials that could unlock the account holder's digital life should not be stored together in the same unprotected location.
On credential security: The Digital Family Folder contains sensitive access information. The security requirements for storing it are significant. See Section 5 of this standard for storage requirements. The folder should never be stored in an unsecured location — including cloud services without strong authentication, email, or shared physical spaces.
The following components are not required to meet the minimum adequacy threshold of this standard but significantly improve the folder's utility and the ease of administration after death.
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Online legacy tool status | Confirmation of whether the account holder has configured Facebook Legacy Contact, Google Inactive Account Manager, and/or Apple Digital Legacy Contact — and who those contacts are. These Tier 1 RUFADAA designations significantly simplify platform administration. |
| Social media disposition preferences | Written preferences for each social media account beyond what is captured in the inventory — particularly for accounts with significant personal or family significance where the account holder has strong preferences about memorialization versus deletion. |
| Digital asset summary for attorney | A one-page summary of digital financial assets formatted for the estate attorney — exchange accounts, approximate values, beneficiary designations in place. Saves significant attorney time during estate settlement. |
| Business account instructions | For account holders with online businesses, domain names, or creator accounts — specific instructions for each, including whether the business should continue operating temporarily, who has authority to make business decisions, and relevant contacts. |
| Subscription cancellation priority list | A prioritized list of subscriptions to cancel immediately after death, ordered by monthly cost or renewal date. Enables rapid action on the most financially significant recurring charges. |
| Written wishes statement | A brief personal statement from the account holder about how they want their digital presence handled — informal, not legally binding, but often deeply meaningful to families making difficult decisions under grief. |
The Digital Family Folder must be stored in a way that balances two competing requirements: secure enough that it cannot be accessed by unauthorized parties during the account holder's lifetime, and accessible enough that the designated digital executor can reach it promptly after death.
| Storage Method | Security | Accessibility | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Encrypted digital file + physical location record | High | High (with correct decryption) | Best practice for most account holders. Digital file encrypted with strong password; password stored physically with estate documents. |
| Sealed physical document with estate attorney | High | Medium (attorney hours) | Appropriate for account holders with strong estate planning relationships. Attorney holds folder alongside will. |
| Home safe or locked filing cabinet | Medium | High | Acceptable for simple estates. Trusted contact must know safe location and access method. |
| Safe deposit box | High | Low | Caution: safe deposit box may be sealed at death before the digital executor can access it. Include emergency access instructions separately. |
The following storage locations do not meet the requirements of this standard:
A Digital Family Folder that is not maintained becomes less useful over time and may actively mislead the digital executor if account information becomes outdated. This standard requires periodic review and update.
The Digital Family Folder must be reviewed and updated when any of the following occur:
Annual review practice: Vera Legacy recommends treating the annual review of the Digital Family Folder as a recurring calendar event — scheduled at the same time each year, linked to an existing event such as a tax filing deadline or estate plan review. A folder reviewed annually is significantly more useful than one reviewed only at major life events.
Vera Legacy Standards are independent, voluntary practice frameworks. They are not laws, regulations, legal advice, or government-recognized standards. Compliance does not guarantee legal authority over any account or asset.
Use and citation: Free to reference, cite, and use internally with attribution to Vera Legacy. Contact hello@veralegacy.com for permissions.
Professional comment: This first edition is open for professional comment. Corrections, observations from practice, and suggested improvements are welcomed at hello@veralegacy.com. Significant contributions will be acknowledged in subsequent revisions.
Vera Legacy. (2026). VLS-003: Digital Family Folder Standard. Version 1.0, First Edition. https://veralegacy.com/standards/vls-003/