Michigan Digital Assets Estate Planning

It is not legal advice. Verify current requirements with the county probate court, relevant agency, or qualified Michigan counsel before acting.

Michigan digital assets estate planning covers online accounts, files, photos, cryptocurrency, websites, and other electronic records. Michigan law gives fiduciaries some access tools, but service-provider terms and privacy settings still matter.

This guide provides general information about digital assets in Michigan estates. Do not place passwords in a will or public court filing.

What Counts As A Digital Asset

Digital assets can include electronic records tied to money, memory, work, or identity.

Common examples include:

Online bank, payment, and investment accounts
Cryptocurrency wallets, seed phrases, and exchange accounts
Domain names, websites, stores, and creator accounts
Cloud photo, document, and email accounts
Loyalty points, gaming accounts, and subscriptions
Social media profiles and messaging records

Some assets have dollar value. Others matter because family members need access, closure, or preservation.

Michigan Fiduciary Access Law

Michigan EPIC includes fiduciary access rules for digital assets in MCL 700.1001 and related sections. These rules address definitions, online tools, user directions, and when fiduciaries may request access from a custodian.

The law separates account records from communication content. A fiduciary may need clear written consent before accessing the content of electronic communications. A platform's own legacy-contact or inactive-account tool can also control access.

Who May Need Access

Different fiduciaries need different access.

Fiduciary	Why access may matter
Personal representative	Inventory estate assets, close accounts, collect value
Trustee	Manage trust-owned digital property
Agent under power of attorney	Handle accounts during incapacity
Guardian or conservator	Protect assets or records under court authority

Pair digital-asset planning with Michigan power of attorney and Michigan healthcare directive planning when incapacity is part of the concern.

Build A Digital Asset Inventory

Create a private list that names each account, where it is held, how to reach it, whether it has financial value, and what should happen to it. Keep credentials in a password manager or other secure storage, not in the will.

For cryptocurrency, record wallet type, exchange names, device locations, seed phrase storage, and recovery contacts. A personal representative cannot recover assets when the recovery phrase is gone.

Give Clear Written Directions

Michigan's digital-asset rules make user direction important. Use online tools offered by platforms when available. Then add written authority in the will, trust, and power of attorney when you want a fiduciary to access records or content.

Clear documents can tell the fiduciary to preserve family photos, close subscriptions, transfer a domain name, maintain a business account, or liquidate cryptocurrency.

Digital Assets During Probate

During probate, the personal representative should identify digital assets while building the estate inventory. Keep a record of account requests, custodian responses, court orders, and asset values.

For broader inventory and account tracking, read the Michigan probate accounting guide. For tax-sensitive inherited assets, read Michigan step-up in basis.

Sources:

Title: MCL 700.1001, Definitions; fiduciary access to digital assets. Publisher: Michigan Legislature. Publication Date: Michigan Compiled Laws current through PA 14 of 2026. URL: https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-1001
Title: MCL 700.1002, User direction for disclosure of digital assets. Publisher: Michigan Legislature. Publication Date: Michigan Compiled Laws current through PA 14 of 2026. URL: https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-1002
Title: MCL 700.1004, Disclosure of content of electronic communications of deceased user. Publisher: Michigan Legislature. Publication Date: Michigan Compiled Laws current through PA 14 of 2026. URL: https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-1004
Title: MCL 700.1008, Fiduciary duty and authority. Publisher: Michigan Legislature. Publication Date: Michigan Compiled Laws current through PA 14 of 2026. URL: https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-1008

This guide provides general Michigan digital-asset planning information. Verify access authority with the platform, the governing document, and Michigan counsel.