It’s Halloween—a season of ghosts, goblins, and spooky surprises. But one of the scariest things you can leave behind for your family isn’t a haunted house. It’s your digital ghosts—unprotected online accounts, lost passwords, and forgotten assets that come back to haunt your loved ones.

What Are Digital Ghosts?

  • A Facebook account that can’t be closed or memorialized.

  • A crypto wallet that disappears without the key.

  • Online bills or subscriptions no one knows about.

  • Photos, music, or videos locked in the cloud forever.

  • Old email addresses hackers exploit for fraud.

These aren’t just inconveniences—they can cause real emotional and financial harm.

The Risks of Ignoring Digital Assets

  1. Lost memories: Family photos and videos may be gone forever.

  2. Lost wealth: Cryptocurrency or PayPal balances may never be recovered.

  3. Identity theft: Hackers love inactive accounts.

  4. Family conflict: Loved ones may fight over access or ownership.

How to Keep Your Family from Being Haunted

  • Make a digital asset inventory.

  • Include digital access in your estate plan.

  • Use legal tools like wills, trusts, and powers of attorney.

  • Decide what happens to accounts (closed, transferred, or memorialized).

Illinois Law and Your Digital Legacy

With Illinois’ RUFADAA, you can legally authorize your executor or trustee to manage digital assets—but only if your documents include it. Otherwise, your family may face a nightmare of red tape.

Don’t Leave a Scary Legacy

This Halloween, the scariest mistake you can make is ignoring your digital assets. Give your loved ones peace of mind by planning ahead.

👉 Don’t let your digital ghosts haunt your family. Schedule a consultation with our Libertyville estate planning attorney today.

This article is intended to serve as a general summary of the issues outlined therein. While this article may include general guidance, it is not intended as, nor is a substitute for, qualified legal advice. Your review or receipt of this article by Lexern Law Offices, Ltd. (the “LLG”) or any of its attorneys does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and the LLG. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors of the article and do not reflect the opinion of the LLG. Please note that this article may have been generated using AI technology.

 

The post The Digital Ghosts You Leave Behind appeared first on Lexern Law Group.

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Mr. Feldman believes that communication is the key to any successful relationship with his clients. Encouraging open communication and being easily available to answer clients’ questions has allowed him to build long-term partnerships and trust with his clients. Importantly, Mr. Feldman spends significant…

Mr. Feldman believes that communication is the key to any successful relationship with his clients. Encouraging open communication and being easily available to answer clients’ questions has allowed him to build long-term partnerships and trust with his clients. Importantly, Mr. Feldman spends significant time and effort educating his clients on estate planning options and various business opportunities and associated risks, encouraging them to take a proactive approach to their future and the preservation of their legacies.

Mr. Feldman has been providing professional services to sophisticated clients at some of the largest accounting and law firms and through Lexern Law Group, which he founded in 2010. Mr. Feldman and his wife, Irina, have been married for over seventeen years and have four children. In his free time, Mr. Feldman enjoys traveling, practicing martial arts, and riding his motorcycle.

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