Digital Estate Planning: Frequently Asked Questions
What is digital estate planning?
Digital estate planning is the process of organizing and documenting your digital assets, including online accounts, digital files, photos, financial accounts, and personal data, so they can be preserved, transferred, or managed after death or incapacity. It is an extension of traditional estate planning that addresses the growing digital component of modern life. Codex Vitae adds AI-powered organization of digital content, life narrative generation, privacy filtering, and attorney-mediated directive execution to make digital estate planning complete and actionable.
What happens to online accounts when someone dies?
When someone passes away, their online accounts typically remain locked behind passwords and platform-specific policies. Most platforms have limited procedures for providing access to family members or executors. Without preparation, important photos, messages, financial information, and personal data may become permanently inaccessible. Codex Vitae generates platform-specific instructions for major services and connects you with a licensed attorney who has the legal authority to carry out account closures and transfers on behalf of the estate.
What is a digital executor?
A digital executor is a person designated to manage your digital assets after death. This person may be responsible for accessing online accounts, preserving digital memories, closing accounts, and carrying out digital directives. Some states legally recognize digital executors under RUFADAA (the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act).
What is a digital legacy vault?
A digital legacy vault is a secure, encrypted system used to store digital memories, personal messages, account information, and instructions that may be delivered or accessed in the future. Codex Vitae uses zero-knowledge encryption to ensure that vault contents remain private and accessible only to authorized individuals.
Can digital assets be included in a will?
Yes. Many estate planning attorneys now include digital assets in wills, trusts, and estate directives. However, simply listing digital assets in a will may not be sufficient. Structured documentation and platform-specific designations are often needed to ensure access. Codex Vitae helps individuals organize and document their digital assets in a way that complements formal estate planning.
What is RUFADAA?
RUFADAA stands for the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act. It is a legal framework adopted by most U.S. states that governs how fiduciaries can access digital assets after death or incapacity. RUFADAA establishes a priority system where individual designations take precedence over estate documents, which in turn take precedence over platform terms of service.
How does Codex Vitae protect my privacy?
Codex Vitae uses zero-knowledge encryption to protect every vault. This means the staff of Codex Vitae cannot view the contents of your vault. Your encryption keys remain under your control, and your information can only be accessed by the individuals you explicitly authorize.
Is Codex Vitae a law firm?
No. Codex Vitae is a technology platform that provides secure infrastructure for digital asset organization and legacy preparation. The platform does not provide legal advice. Legal services must be provided by licensed attorneys. Law firms may incorporate the platform into their estate planning practice as independent partners.
Who can access my vault?
Only you and the individuals you explicitly authorize can access your vault. Codex Vitae uses zero-knowledge encryption, which means that even the platform staff cannot view your vault contents. Access conditions are defined by you and may include specific triggers or verification requirements.
How do I get started with Codex Vitae?
You can create your Codex Vitae vault at codexvitae.cloud. The platform guides you through the process of organizing digital memories, documenting directives, and designating authorized individuals. There is no cost to begin, and you can start organizing your digital legacy at your own pace.
What is RUFADAA and does it apply to my state?
RUFADAA, the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, is the legal framework adopted by most US states governing how fiduciaries can access digital assets after death or incapacitation. It establishes that individual platform designations take priority over estate documents, which take priority over the platform's own terms of service. Codex Vitae generates RUFADAA-compliant digital estate directives for covered US states, with more states added over time.
What happens to private photos and files on my devices when I die?
Without preparation, private files on your devices become part of whatever archive your family inherits. Photographs, personal correspondence, intimate content: all of it may be encountered by family members not expecting it and never meant to see it. Codex Vitae's AI privacy filtering layer addresses this directly. Before any curated archive is delivered to your family, the system identifies and separates private, explicit, and intimate content automatically. Your family receives the memories. They do not receive what was meant to stay private.
Can family members access my digital estate without a will?
Access to digital accounts after death depends on platform-specific policies and state law. Most platforms have limited or inconsistent processes for family access and many require legal documentation. Under RUFADAA, a designated digital executor with proper legal authority can access accounts, but that designation must be established in advance. Codex Vitae helps you create the documentation and connects you with a licensed attorney partner who has the legal authority to act on your estate's behalf.
What is the bereavement digital estate service?
The Codex Vitae Bereavement Processing Service is for families whose loved one passed without a digital legacy plan. Families bring physical media including phones, laptops, hard drives, and printed photographs. The AI processes everything, filters out private content, and delivers a curated vault, life narrative, and memorial page. All physical and digital media is destroyed to certified industry standards with a verifiable audit trail. The service is in development with waitlist now open at codexvitae.life/bereavement-services.
How long does it take to set up a digital estate plan with Codex Vitae?
Creating your vault takes minutes. Organizing your content is an ongoing process the AI handles automatically. Completing your directives and connecting with a partner attorney for legal execution typically takes one to two conversations. Most people have a substantially complete digital estate plan within a few weeks of starting.
Is Codex Vitae safe for my most personal data?
Yes. Codex Vitae uses zero-knowledge encryption, which means even Codex Vitae staff cannot view the contents of your vault. Your encryption keys belong to you. The platform does not sell, analyze, or share your data. All content is stored encrypted at rest and in transit. The AI privacy filtering system identifies sensitive content automatically before it is ever reviewed by a human.
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