Our Secure Process
Virtually all websites that host personal accounts, especially social media sites, have a process for memorializing or deleting an account for a deceased loved one. However, to protect the privacy and security of the account, their process can be quite difficult and time consuming to navigate. We’ve researched these sites and have streamlined these processes enormously. While there are still some administrative steps to take, our proven methods are far more time efficient and less for you than dealing with these individual website companies by yourself.
Our process is as follows:
1. We verify your identity.
We make sure that you are who you say you are and that you are authorized to make the online account management request. This is critical to the process. Most often, we have you get online via a simple video call to visually verify your documents and record the session for further verification and archive purposes. If there is ever a dispute, we will have the video recording available for review.
2. You provide us with the death certificate for the deceased.
This is required. We have several methods that accommodate this process, where you send a copy or photo of the document to us via email, text or even mail via the United States Postal Service.
3. You provide us with an obituary or a link to one online
Most online companies require this, so we have added this to our list of mandatory documentation.
4. You sign a document authorizing Digital Life Services to act on your behalf.
This document is called a “Limited Power of Attorney,” which allows Digital Life Services to act on your behalf, but ONLY in relation to the management of the digital accounts you choose and in a limited, specific manner. This Limited Power of Attorney does not give Digital Life Services authority to do anything other than what you specifically authorize.
Additionally, our process does NOT give us access to account passwords, nor does this Power of Attorney document.
5. Brief Questionnaire Form
To expedite the required processes, we require your answers to a short questionnaire. These answers allow us to manage the myriad details required by digital companies to memorialize or close-down the associated online accounts.
6. Other documents
Some online internet companies require additional documents such as a birth certificate for the deceased. When required, we will inform you of other requirements like this and will provide a convenient process to accommodate those requirements and the transfer of those documents. If you do not have these documents available, we’ll need to discuss alternative methods with you to accomplish the online sites’ requirements.
7. Follow-up Communications
We will keep you updated on the progress being made with each digital account you authorize us to manage. We will make every attempt to communicate frequently, and commit to an update at least every two weeks, if not more often. From experience, we know that some websites may take up to three months to process these requests. We mention that as a worst-case scenario, which is always possible. However, based on experience, we know that our procedures most often greatly decrease the timeline for action. The most popular website properties have trust in this process, leading to fewer issues, less cross-communication and better outcomes, which speeds up the process significantly.