The Executor's First Week

When someone dies, the paperwork has a rhythm people know. The digital side does not, and it can feel like a locked house with the lights still on. This builds a calm, ordered list of what to do, what can wait, and what you should be careful never to rush. Answer a few questions, or skip them and read the general version.

A few gentle questions Your relationship to the person Do you know how to get into their phone or computer? Did they use a password manager? Was there a will or estate plan? Did they run a business, or hold crypto or domains? Roughly how are you doing with the practical side right now?

A NOTE FROM ORDERED This is a lot to carry, and most of it can be done slowly. If the digital estate is large or tangled, or you would simply rather not do this alone, Ordered helps families through exactly this as an engagement called After a Loss: we inventory the accounts, work with the attorney, close what should close, preserve what should be kept, and hand you a clear record. There is no hurry, and there is no wrong way to grieve while you do it.

This is general guidance for the digital side and not legal advice. Your executor\u2019s authority, and what you may access, is governed by the will, by state law, and by each provider\u2019s terms. When in doubt, ask the estate attorney before you act, and keep a note of what you do and when.