New Facebook feature lets users assign a digital heir

Facebook has introduced a new feature that gives its users more control over their Facebook pages after they pass away. Users can now designate a “legacy contact” to manage their account. The legacy contact must be an existing Facebook user, and they’ll be able to add a post to the top of the page to memorialize the person, change their profile picture, and accept new friend requests. 

Legacy contacts won’t have total control over a person's account. They can't edit or delete posts made by the user or their friends, remove photos, remove friends, or read private messages that were sent.

Facebook will also recognize a digital heir named in a will and make them the legacy contact, even if the user didn’t designate them with the new tool. This is great news for estate planning attorneys, who can now incorporate this language into their documents and be confident the world’s largest social media site will recognize it.

DocuBank members with a COMPLETE account can take advantage of a similar feature called the Digital Executor. Members can log in online and choose a person who can access their account when they pass away. That person will be able to log in and view all of the files that the member uploaded to their online SAFE.

February 18, 2015 | Advance Care Planning Tools, Advance Care Planning News, DocuBank