1050 SW 6th Ave., Suite 1100, Portland OR 97204
|
503.899.2672
|
darrell@claridgefs.com
Claridge Fiduciary Services, LLC
Contact Us

Social Media Accounts in Estate Planning: Delete, Memorialize, or Maintain?

As a fiduciary, I’ve noticed something interesting over the past few years: even clients who don’t see themselves as “social media influencers” have created substantial online presences. Like tangible property in the physical world, the content we create online comes in many different forms and carries different emotional and monetary value.

I’m seeing more estate planning documents that contain language addressing social media accounts. However, that language is often vague, typically just granting a trustee authority to “deal with digital assets.” What’s missing is specific guidance about the client’s wishes for their online presence.

This creates a gap between what the documents say and what fiduciaries actually need to execute the client’s intent. Social media accounts aren’t one-size-fits-all. Some need to be deleted immediately. Others should be memorialized. And increasingly, some need to be maintained because they’re generating income.

The Hidden Complexity of Social Media Inventories

Most clients don’t realize how many social media accounts they’re managing. A typical person may have 10 or more active profiles across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter (now known as X), YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, Medium, Substack, personal blogs, and various online communities, gaming accounts, or Discord servers (large customizable themed clubhouses or communities).
Each platform may require a different approach:
  • Delete (remove all content permanently)
  • Deactivate (make the account inactive but reversible)
  • Memorialize (freeze the account as a remembrance page)
  • Maintain (keep active due to ongoing revenue or legacy value)
Without clear instructions, an estate’s executor is left guessing or, worse, making decisions that conflict with what the decedent would have wanted.

The Monetization Blind Spot

Here’s where attorneys may have a blind spot: social media accounts can generate real income, and that income may continue long after someone dies.

From a fiduciary perspective, determining value isn’t only about identifying active income. It’s also about assessing whether an online presence has residual value, ongoing obligations, or assets requiring accounting and administration. In some cases, a social media profile may fall under the definition of digital business property rather than a personal account, which could affect how it’s handled under estate documents and state law.

Here are common ways social media accounts generate revenue:
  • Advertising Revenue: Platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok pay creators based on views, audience size, or engagement. Even a modest YouTube channel with evergreen content (recipes, DIY tutorials, software guides, music, or educational videos) may continue earning income long after the last post.
  • Affiliate Links and Referral Income: Pinterest pins, Instagram posts, TikTok videos, or personal blogs may contain links to products. When followers click through and purchase, the creator earns commissions from companies like Amazon Associates, RewardStyle (LIKEtoKNOW.it), or ShareASale. These earnings can continue for months or years.
  • Sponsored Posts or Brand Partnerships: Accounts with large followings may have contracts or payments tied to content already posted or agreements scheduled for future publication. These may require review to determine if obligations or payment rights survive the individual.
  • Digital Storefronts or Product Sales: Some social media profiles link to Etsy or Shopify stores, online courses or downloadable products, subscription communities, or paid coaching and consulting services.
  • Subscriptions or Member Communities:Platforms like Patreon, Substack, YouTube Memberships, or OnlyFans offer recurring subscription payments. If the decedent's content retains value, there may be ongoing contractual, brand, or patron obligations and potential liability if subscribers continue being charged without new content.
  • Royalties, Copyrights, and Licensing Rights: Content such as artwork, music, photography, writing, or video may have intellectual property rights attached. Some platforms allow third-party licensing, meaning a post could generate revenue long after creation.

A Client Walks In: The Case of Megan

Consider a client named Megan, age 56. Like many people, Megan never considered herself an “influencer,” yet over the years she created a significant online presence across multiple platforms (some personal, some professional, and some purely social).

At the time of her estate planning conversation, Megan had active accounts across multiple platforms:

  • Facebook Personal Profile: Used primarily to stay in touch with friends, family, and former classmates
  • Instagram (Personal & Business): A mix of personal photos, travel memories, and occasional posts showcasing her design work
  • Pinterest: Where she has curated more than 1,200 recipes and DIY projects, followed by over 8,000 people
  • YouTube Channel: A small cooking channel she started during the pandemic, now with 2,400 subscribers and several videos that continue to get views
  • Substack Newsletter: Where she shares recipes
  • Yelp: Updated sporadically, mostly restaurant reviews and recipes
  • LinkedIn: Used professionally throughout her career

Megan’s digital content generates between $8,000 and $12,000 annually depending on holiday traffic and recipe trends. This income includes monthly ad revenue through YouTube, ongoing affiliate links embedded in Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram captions, subscription payments for her Substack newsletter, and seasonal brand sponsorships with cookware and kitchen organization partners.

What many attorneys and clients don’t realize is that this income may continue for a period even if new content is never added. This is where estate planning becomes critical.

How Megan Structured Management of Her Accounts

Working with her attorney, Megan took three critical steps:

  • 1 She named a designated digital executor, separate from her trustee and Personal Representative, because managing social media requires technical comfort and familiarity with the platforms.
  • She stored login credentials securely in a password manager, with access instructions included in her estate plan.
  • She documented her wishes clearly, platform by platform, so no one is left guessing.
How Megan Structured Management of Her Accounts

Platform / Account Type

Purpose of Account

Action Requested

Reason

YouTube Channel

Cooking tutorials, ongoing revenue

Cooking tutorials, ongoing revenue

Continues earning income and represents meaningful creative work

Pinterest

Recipe boards with affiliate links

Maintain

Evergreen content continues generating passive affiliate revenue

Instagram (Business Account)

Cooking content, product links,
brand identity

Keep Public but Inactive

Supports ongoing monetization and legacy

Substack Newsletter

Paid subscriber content

Close after final billing cycle

Prevents ongoing charges to subscribers

Affiliate Program Accounts
(Amazon, RewardStyle, etc.)

Revenue tied to YouTube/Pinterest

Transfer or close depending
on policy

Required to continue payouts tied to maintained content

Facebook (Personal)

Friends, life updates, memories

Memorialize

Preserves emotional history for family and friends

Instagram (Personal)

Travel and family photos

Archive Privately

Sentimental value without public access

LinkedIn

Career information

Deactivate

No sentimental or ongoing
business value

TikTok

Casual posts

Delete

No long-term relevance or value

This chart became part of Megan’s estate planning documents, giving her digital executor clear, actionable instructions.

What Attorneys Should Ask Every Client

To avoid the common pitfalls (generic language, overlooked accounts, lost revenue, or family conflict), attorneys should ensure that they complete a comprehensive inventory of social media accounts, understanding their value, how they are accessed and most importantly what are the client’s intentions for these accounts.

What You Need to Manage Social Media Accounts After Death

Once a client passes away, the work of implementing their wishes begins. This is where executors may encounter roadblocks because they lack the proper documentation or don’t understand each platform’s specific requirements. The process of managing a deceased person’s social media accounts requires patience, proper legal authority, and platform-specific knowledge. Most platforms require similar documentation, proof of death, proof of legal authority, executor’s identification and specific account information. See appendix for platform specific requirements.

Handle Monetized Accounts Carefully

If your client earns money online, this requires special attention and understanding of various revenue platforms. Monetized accounts are not just social media profiles; they’re income-generating assets that must be handled with the same care as any other estate asset.
Video & Streaming Platforms:
  • YouTube Partner Program / AdSense: ad revenue from video content
  • TikTok Creator Fund / TikTok Shop: creator payments and e-commerce sales
  • Twitch: subscriptions, bits, and ad revenue from live streaming
Check each platform’s policies on account inheritance and pending payouts. Some platforms allow channels to remain active and continue earning if content is evergreen, while others require account closure upon death.
Social Media Monetization:
  • Instagram: Reels bonuses, branded content, badges, and affiliate commissions
  • Facebook: in-stream ads, Stars, and branded content partnerships
Review any active creator agreements or bonus programs, and determine whether memorialization affects monetization status. Meta platforms may allow memorialized accounts to preserve content but will typically stop new revenue generation.
Subscription & Membership Platforms:
  • Patreon: recurring subscriber payments
  • Substack: paid newsletter subscriptions
  • Ko-fi: one-time tips and monthly memberships
  • OnlyFans: subscription-based content
  • YouTube Memberships: channel membership fees
Contact the platform to pause or cancel recurring billing to subscribers, and collect any final payments owed to the creator. Most subscription platforms will require account closure, so notify subscribers appropriately before terminating access.
Affiliate Programs:
  • Amazon Associates: product referral commissions
  • RewardStyle / LIKEtoKNOW.it: fashion and lifestyle affiliate links
  • ShareASale: multi-merchant affiliate network
  • Other affiliate networks: platform-specific or brand-specific programs
Contact each affiliate program to determine their policies for transferring accounts or collecting final payments. Some programs will pay out to the estate; others may close the account and forfeit remaining balances.
E-commerce & Digital Products:
  • Shopify: online store sales
  • Etsy: handmade goods and digital downloads
  • Gumroad: digital products and courses
  • Teachable / Kajabi: online course platforms
Determine whether the store should continue operating, be transferred to a beneficiary, or be closed. Fulfill any pending orders, process refunds if necessary, and collect final payments before closing accounts.
Other Revenue Sources:
  • Sponsored content agreements: pending brand partnerships or contracts
  • Podcast sponsorships: ad revenue from podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts)
  • Medium Partner Program: earnings from written content
Review any existing contracts for obligations that survive death, such as scheduled posts or exclusivity agreements. Contact brands or sponsors to discuss contract termination, final deliverables, or outstanding payments.
Action items:
  • Check for pending payouts
  • Stop any subscriptions that charge customers
  • Transfer accounts if permitted by platform terms
  • Close or consolidate after all financial matters are settled
The key principle: deleting a monetized account too quickly can forfeit revenue that belongs to the estate. Before taking any action, inventory all revenue sources, contact each platform to understand their policies, collect any pending payments, and only then proceed with account closure or transfer. This protects the estate’s financial interests and prevents liability from subscribers being charged for content they won’t receive.

Preserve Important Content Before Closing Accounts

Before deletion, consider saving photos, messages, videos, posts with sentimental or historical value, professional or creative work, and archived data exports. Once deleted, content is typically unrecoverable.

Protect Against Identity Theft

Inactive or unmanaged accounts can become targets for hackers. Best practices include deactivating or memorializing accounts rather than leaving them untouched, removing identifying information when appropriate, and closing outdated platforms the person no longer used.

Communicate With Family

Sometimes families disagree about what should happen with accounts. Clear communication helps ease emotional stress, especially around memorial pages, public versus private access, sensitive content, and announcement posts.

Keep Records

For fiduciary duties and future questions, maintain copies of forms submitted, emails or confirmations from platforms, dates when accounts were closed or memorialized, and documentation of any funds collected or transferred.

Practical Takeaways for Estate Planning Attorneys

Megan’s example illustrates how social media complicates estate planning in ways that generic “digital asset” language doesn’t address. Attorneys should consider building platform-specific planning into their practice by:
  • 1 Inventorying accounts systematically during intake
  • Identifying monetized accounts that have business value
  • Documenting client wishes platform-by-platform using a chart like Megan's
  • Designating a digital executor with technical skills
  • Securing credentials through password managers with clear access instructions
  • Educating clients about ongoing revenue potential and fiduciary obligations

Final Thoughts: The New Frontier of Fiduciary Duty

Social media accounts represent a new frontier in estate planning, one that blends emotional legacy, intellectual property, ongoing revenue, and technical complexity. For attorneys, the risk of ignoring this area is real: lost income, family conflict, privacy breaches, and unfulfilled client wishes.

By asking the right questions and creating clear, platform-specific instructions, you can ensure your clients’ online legacies are handled with the same care as their traditional assets. And when the time comes to execute those wishes, partnering with a fiduciary who understands both the emotional and financial dimensions of social media can make all the difference.

If you’re working with clients who have significant online presences (whether they see themselves as influencers or not), now is the time to build strategies for managing, preserving, or closing those accounts. Claridge Fiduciary Services can help you navigate these complexities with confidence.

Here’s how to connect: 503.899.2672 or darrell@claridgefs.com

Contact Us Now