Website Fate After Your Demise

Have you made adequate plans?

[keyplyr]

What will happen to your web properties after you've passed on?

• Are your passwords logged & accessible to those who may need them?

• Are these details included in a Last Will & Testament?

• Is there someone knowledgeable delegated to take over?

• Are there coding or hosting changes needed in preparation?

• Tax info & bank accounts accessible?

• Domain registration transfer?

• If selling, have you laid out a plan including a broker?

[justpassing]

All written down, instructions, for every single details.

[buckworks]

Another thought - make sure your domains are registered far enough into the future to ensure that nothing important lapses while your executor(s) are getting their bearings. Don't depend on auto-renew; stay well ahead of the auto-renew dates for mission-critical domains.

Have a plan for your social accounts as well as your websites,

[justpassing]

Each time I "create" a domain name, I register it for 10 years (often I get a discount), then each year, I renew it for one extra year, so I am always with a margin of 10 years ahead.

[tangor]

One man shops work one way. Businesses work a different way. OP appears to be speaking of individuals because businesses have already taken this scenario "if one person dies" by having other employees there to keep it going and by having all mission critical stuff in the company's name, not an individual.

If one man stuff ... your will is where all the instructions are maintained and, if profitable, funds are available to the executor to take care of biz right then and there. If no funds ... well that's it, unless designates are willing to pony up for DNS and hosting in hopes income continues, provided site is an income producer.

As I am the last of everything and have outlived two wives and all my siblings and my two children I frankly don't give a hoot what happens after I am dead. Meanwhile, scrapers have already assured my legacy has been duplicated around the world several times a year, every year. :)

As for my clients, it's their lookout to keep their sites running when I am dead.

Just leave your instructions (you have a will, right?) and don't worry about it.

[keyplyr]

Businesses work a different way. OP appears to be speaking of individuals because businesses have already taken this scenario "if one person dies" by having other employees there to keep it going and by having all mission critical stuff in the company's name, not an individual.

Yes, this topic is about website(s,) not so much about businesses that have a website that other employees or co-owners could take over, although that's a blurred line with some.

In my case, there is no one that is knowledgeable or motivated enough that I would consider a candidate to inherit my personal website, so I would likely put it up for sale ahead of time.

My 2 other sites already have buyers I've been dealing with for a while.

[nomis5]

If you have Adsense or affiliates on your website then I would imagine that the minute you die your personal accounts will be frozen, that's the case in the UK. So any income payments will simply be frozen out.

Google did state a long time ago that they would liase with managers of a deceased person's estate to manage this but they never did say in any detail what the solution would be.

Another problem I can't get my head round is that if you are a one person business trading as self-employed (not as a company) then your website will be considered as part of your estate. If that's the case, the website will need to be valued. That sounds like a whole pile of worms, especially important if your estate is likely to attract death duties.

[piatkow]

It is important to leave instructions on what to do on your death.

As a listings magazine editor I sometimes upset people by asking them to explicitly confirm that their regular events are still running rather than just checking the website. One of the reasons that I do that is because I have seen sites that have been renewed for several years ahead sitting there long after the owner had passed away,