As essential documents like living wills transition to digital formats, they offer benefits such as enhanced security, accessibility, and flexibility. But are digital wills truly safe?
We’ll explore their advantages, potential drawbacks, and tips for effective online document management.
Key Takeaways
A digital living will is a legal document that differs from a physical will in that it’s stored and accessed solely online.
The benefits of storing your will online include easy access from anywhere, reduced paperwork, better organization, and secure sharing.
Common concerns about digital living wills are security and privacy risks, as well as long-term accessibility and legal validity.
How Is a Digital Will Different Than a Physical One?
The main difference between physical and digital living wills is that digital wills are stored online, offering the same legal validity (depending on your state) with added customization options. Specialized platforms make digital living wills more accessible by providing secure online storage.
While a digital will is no longer on physical paper, it is still a legal document that outlines your medical and end-of-life preferences and wishes.
The Benefits of Storing Your Living Will Online
Choosing pixels over paper to store your living will comes with many benefits.
Easy Access Anytime, Anywhere
Online storage provides easy access to your documents anytime, anywhere, which is crucial during emergencies. It also allows you to securely share access with family, power of attorney, healthcare providers, and professionals like financial or estate planners.
Choose a digital storage platform like Trustworthy to help families get and stay organized. Trustworthy’s Family Operating System® streamlines and optimizes your organization process and comes with stand-out features that make accessibility hassle-free.
Start by creating your network of trusted collaborators, including family members, power of attorney, healthcare providers, and other professionals like lawyers and attorneys. Members of your network on Trustworthy can have full or partial access to view or edit your documents.
Your important documents are always available whether you use the Trustworthy mobile app or your computer.
Increased Organization and Reduced Paperwork
One of the most advantageous benefits of going digital is reduced paperwork, which can pile up if you’re not careful. With digital storage, you can say goodbye to endless piles of paper by consolidating your documents into one secure location, such as Trustworthy.
Trustworthy makes document organization hassle-free with predefined document categories and filename suggestions, so you don’t have to create a filing system from scratch.
One of the biggest challenges of using physical filing systems is clutter and lost documents. Trustworthy’s built-in scanner on the app means you can instantly scan and upload documents to the relevant categories, thanks to the AI-powered Autopilot features. The pre-built checklists ensure you have overlooked or are missing some important documents.
Secure Sharing with Trusted Parties
Trustworthy makes securely sharing essential documents easy. You can grant trusted network members specific access levels or use the SecureLinks™ feature to share view-only links with people outside your network. These links are time-limited, giving you full control over your sensitive information.
Reduces Family Stress
Having your living will and supported documents stored in one secure location eliminates the stress of flipping through hundreds of pages and searching for different hiding spots.
Easy access to essential documents can be a great stress reliever for your family, even when you’re gone. For example, having access to your documents helps executors handle and distribute assets without any delays or conflict.
Constant Support
Trustworthy offers excellent support through email, live chat, and one-on-one assistance from Trustworthy Certified Experts™, who can help with digital organization strategies or finding the right lawyer.
Common Concerns About Digital Living Wills
Of course, when it comes to digital storage, there are some common concerns to be aware of to ensure your documents are always protected.
Security and Privacy Risks
Security is a major concern in the digital world, with risks like data breaches, identity theft, and unauthorized access to sensitive information. Platforms like Trustworthy address these issues with encryption, two-factor authentication, and regular security audits.
Long-Term Accessibility and Platform Reliability
Long-term reliability is crucial for online living will storage. If a platform shuts down, you could lose access to important documents. To avoid this, choose a trusted platform like Trustworthy, which has been a top choice for family organization since 2020.
Additionally, always keep backups of your documents on secure external drives or reputable cloud storage services.
Huma Shaikh, a legacy tech platform consultant at Mitt Arv, advises:
“One unique tip I often share with clients is to consider using a digital will service that offers a “dead man’s switch” feature. This ensures that your digital will is only accessible after a predetermined period of inactivity, providing an extra layer of security.”
Legal Validity of Digital Living Wills
The legality of your will is crucial to consider. While no states explicitly ban digital wills, some—like Arizona, Nevada, Florida, and Indiana—have updated their laws to recognize electronic wills. In other states, their acceptance is determined on a case-by-case basis.
To ensure your digital living will is valid, we highly recommend chatting with your attorney to verify the validity.
Tips for Safely Storing Your Living Will Online
Some risks are associated with using digital storage, but these can be easily mitigated by following basic tips for online safety.
Choose a Trusted and Secure Platform
First and foremost, always choose a trusted and secure platform that prioritizes your document’s security. This means choosing a platform that offers:
Bank-level encryption to protect your data during storage and transmission
Two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access to your documents ‘
Clear and honest privacy policies and security updates
Trustworthy comes with bank-level security features like AES 256-bit encryption, multi-factor authentication, biometric authentication, physical security keys, on-screen redaction, tokenization, and advanced threat detection, which alerts users of anomalies and unusual activity.
Trustworthy’s compliance standards are second to none and fulfill the requirements for compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3 certification.
Maintain Physical and Digital Copies
Digital storage offers flexibility, but combining it with physical copies creates a more reliable solution. Keep signed and notarized physical copies for backup in case of technical issues, and store them in multiple secure locations to reduce the risk of damage or loss.
Regularly Update and Backup Your Living Will
Regularly update and back up your living will to reflect changes in healthcare preferences or life events like marriage, divorce, or medical diagnoses. Use Trustworthy’s automated reminders to schedule reviews, update documents, make payments, and manage appointments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create a digital living will independently, or do I need legal assistance?
Yes, you can create your living will using plenty of online templates. If you’re unsure about local laws, it is a good idea to consult with an attorney for assistance to ensure your will is valid.
Can I revoke or delete my digital living will if my wishes change?
Yes, you can change or delete your living will whenever your wishes change. Make sure that physical and digital copies reflect your changes and that people like your power of attorney and family members know the changes.
What additional documents should I store alongside my digital living will?
Other important documents you should store alongside your living will are healthcare proxies, advance directives, insurance policies, and your durable power of attorney. Having access to these documents can simplify decision-making.
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Trustworthy is an online service providing legal forms and information. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice.
