There are many loose ends that need to be tied up when you pass away that you may not have previously considered. One of these loose ends is your digital assets. A digital asset is any content about you that is stored digitally, such as pictures, videos, bits of text, etc. This can then create a Digital Legacy for you, which is your digital assets left behind after your death.
One specific type of digital asset that creates a Digital Legacy for you is your social media accounts. These accounts can leave behind a large amount of Digital Legacy for someone after they have passed. LinkedIn is one of these accounts that still exist after someone is deceased and will stay active until someone takes action to have it taken down or memorialized.
Leaving your LinkedIn account active can be both confusing and harmful if left unaddressed. For one, your account will continue to pop up in searches if not taken care of, leading people to try to continue and reach out to you. This can lead to miscommunication and frustration for those trying to contact you unknowingly. Furthermore, it can be hard for your existing network of friends to still have to see your active profile after you have passed, as it may constantly bring up emotions of sadness for them. On top of this, you might not want to leave behind a Digital Legacy and would rather have your information taken down.
You may be wondering what you should do to have your LinkedIn account taken care of once you die. There are a few key things that will need to be done to address your LinkedIn profile after you have passed. In this article, Trust & Will will focus specifically on how LinkedIn impacts your Digital Legacy and what your Executor should do about your LinkedIn account once you are deceased.
How to Close Memorialize or Close Your LinkedIn Account
There are two options for your LinkedIn account after you have passed away. You can choose to either have your account memorialized, or you can have it closed and deleted. If you choose to memorialize your account, this means that your account will continue to exist, but it will no longer remain active. This allows for your Digital Legacy to remain on LinkedIn and will not delete your information, allowing people you know the opportunity to revisit your account if they so desire. Furthermore, when an account is memorialized, no one will be able to login to the account again, making sure that no one can hack into your information. However, if you instead prefer to have your account closed for good and deleted, this is also an option provided by LinkedIn. Closing your account completely is a great option for anyone who does not want to leave a large Digital Legacy after they have passed away.
In order to have your LinkedIn account closed or memorialized, you will have to give the right to do this to your Executor of Estate. Your Executor of Estate is your court appointed person or institution who is responsible for carrying out your Will after you are deceased. This person or institution will also be responsible for taking care of your Digital Legacy and ensuring that your LinkedIn profile is either closed or memorialized.
Once you are deceased, your Executor of Estate will need to submit a request to LinkedIn to fulfill your wishes. In order to do this, they will need a specific list of information that Trust & Will has included in this article, and that is also listed on LinkedIn’s help page. There are two main documents that your Executor will need in order to close or memorialize your account.
First, they will need your death certificate. This is needed to prove to LinkedIn that the deceased LinkedIn member has truly passed. On top of this, they will need a legal document that proves you have given your Executor permission to close your LinkedIn account on your behalf. These documents are required to ensure that LinkedIn accounts are only closed or deleted when it is what the former member wants.
The list of approved legal documents that the Executor can use to close or memorialize your LinkedIn account are as follows:
Letter of Administration
Letter of Testamentary
Letter of Representation
Court Order appointing your Executor as a legal representative of your estate
As long as your Executor of Estate has both of these forms of documentation, they will have the ability to request through LinkedIn to have your account closed or memorialized after you have passed. It is up to you to decide what you would like done with your account.
How to Report a LinkedIn Account of a Deceased Individual
However, you may be wondering what can be done about your account in the event that your Executor of Estate does not obtain the necessary documentation to close your account or memorialize it. Do not worry, there is another way to go about closing your account that Trust & Will will explain next.
In the event that your Executor of Estate does not have the right to close your account, they can report your death and submit a request to prove this. As can be seen on LinkedIn’s help page, this will require a different set of information than what was previously discussed. In order to report the death of a LinkedIn member, the following information will be necessary:
Your full name
Link to your LinkedIn Profile
The requesters relationship to you
Deceased’s email address
Date of death
Link to deceased’s obituary
Once the report is submitted with the information listed above, LinkedIn will verify the information and then close your account so that it is no longer active and cannot be accessed through a login.
Trust & Will understands how difficult it can be to sort out all of the necessary documentation that is needed in the event of your passing. Taking care of your Digital Legacy is just one of the many issues that needs to be addressed when you pass away. That is why Trust & Will has created an online website to help you navigate these daunting tasks and make it easier and faster to do so. With options like an online Trust and customizable Wills, Trust & Will has got you covered. Start planning today!
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