More than one billion people have Facebook accounts. So, there’s a good chance you have an account. Like many other digital assets, Facebook accounts live on after we’re gone. But you can choose how you want your accounts to be managed after your death. For example, Facebook offers a convenient option for the management of your Facebook account – the Legacy Contact.
How To Set Up A Legacy Contact
Go to the Settings by pressing the down arrow at the top right corner of the page. Choose General, then Manage Account. Here, you can choose a friend to be in charge of your account after you’ve passed away. You can even send a message to the friend through this setting, just letting them know that you’ve chosen them as your legacy contact.
What Can My Legacy Contact Do?
Once Facebook has been notified of your death or been sent a copy of your Will or another legal document showing your consent, they can open your account to the legacy contact. Your contact can then download much of the information on your Facebook page.
In addition, they can:
- Write a final message or information about your memorial service. Your account must be set up to allow this.
- Respond to new friend requests.
- Update your profile picture and cover photo.
- Ask that your account be deactivated or closed.
Is There Anything My Contact Cannot Do?
Sure! They cannot see the following:
- Messages;
- Ads you clicked;
- Pokes;
- Security and settings info; and
- Photos you added but did not post (photos that were posted will be available).
Your legacy contact also cannot remove posts and photos from your timeline or delete any friends.
Memorialized Accounts
Maybe you’d like your Facebook account to live on after you’re gone, at least for a time. You’d also like all your Facebook friends to know that you’ve passed on.
Once Facebook has been notified of someone’s death, they can add the word “memorialized” to your account. This gives your Facebook friends a place to remember you, to share stories with other loved ones, and to see other people’s fond memories of you. Your legacy contact would manage the memorialized account and close it at some point if that is what you wanted.
Set Up Your Legacy Contact Today
Social media accounts may be a big part of your life. You can choose how those accounts will be handled after your death, by taking advantage of options offered by social media providers.
The attorneys at the Keystone Law Firm assist clients every day with legal questions and estate planning. Call us at (480) 418-8448 to set up an appointment. You may also want to check out our free resources. Although located in Chandler, we also work with clients in the surrounding communities like Sun Lakes, Gilbert, Mesa, and Tempe.
