Article: The Digital Asset Handover Clause: Legal Frameworks for Digital Property Succession
Joel Patterson (Standard Index Group) and L. Crouch (Standard Index Group) recently published, The Digital Asset Handover Clause: Legal Frameworks for Digital Property Succession, 2026. Provided below is an Abstract:
Digital assets—cryptocurrency wallets, cloud storage accounts, domain names—present systematic succession challenges not addressed by traditional estate planning instruments.
This paper proposes standardized “Digital Asset Handover Clause” language for inclusion in wills and powers of attorney, analyzing legal authority gaps across UK, US, EU, and Swiss jurisdictions.
Includes case studies of cryptocurrency loss (£400k), cloud storage access delays (£15k legal fees), and domain name succession failures.
Provides template will clauses for cryptocurrency, cloud accounts, domain names, and social media. Implementation guidance for executors and wealth advisors included.