Your Clients Are Asking About Digital Assets. Now You'll Know Exactly What to Do.
The practical, step-by-step framework that gives after loss professionals the tools they need to navigate digital estates — without overstepping the role or putting clients at risk.
Digital estates are now part of every engagement. Most professionals aren't prepared.
The average person today manages 150+ online accounts, stores 2,400+ photos in the cloud, and leaves behind a vast digital shadow — most of it undocumented, locked behind passwords, and invisible to families.
Families are stranded
They're asking: where are the passwords? The photos? The accounts? The subscriptions still charging every month? More often than not, that information is simply missing...and they need you to help them find it.
The rules are nothing like traditional assets
Unlike a bank account, digital accounts are licensed, not owned. Platforms control access. Privacy laws linger after death. Having a password isn't the same as having authority, and missteps can create risks for you and your clients.
The stakes are real
Identity theft affects 1 in 8 deaths. 2.5 million deceased individuals have their identities stolen each year. Accounts left open become fraud targets. And every shortcut (well-intentioned as it may be) creates liability.
150+
online accounts managed by the average person
2.5M
dead people have their identities stolen every year
$70B
in unclaimed funds sitting in U.S. accounts
20%
of American adults now own cryptocurrency
Built by practitioners who've been in the room with grieving families.
This course was developed by Professionals of After Loss Services (PALS®), the organization dedicated to training and certifying the after-loss industry. The curriculum is grounded in real client situations, actual platform policies, and the legal landscape professionals work within every day.
PALS® is focused on the practical tools you'll need, providing you with a working framework: the same one experienced practitioners use when they sit down with a family, open a laptop, and need to know exactly what to do next.
- Trusted by estate professionals and after loss professionals nationwide
- Curriculum reflects current federal law (CFAA, SCA), state law (RUFADAA), and platform policies
- Real case walkthroughs, including what went wrong and why process protects everyone
Enroll and access the course
Get immediate access to all five modules. Learn at your own pace, on your schedule, at your desk or on the go with our mobile app.
Learn the framework, not just the rules
Work through each module in sequence. Understand what digital assets are, what's at stake, what your role is (and isn't). Walk through real platform scenarios so you're ready for the next client call.
Show up prepared for every case
Apply the Digital Asset Workflow to your client work. Guide the process, prevent irreversible mistakes, document outcomes, and position yourself as the professional families trust most in a digital-first world.
What's Inside Dealing with Digital Assets After a Death: A Practical Framework for After Loss Professionals
Module 1: Introduction & Context
- Who this course is for
- Why digital estates are different from traditional ones
- The "digital shadow" every estate now carries
Module 2: The Digital Reality No One Is Prepared For
- What digital assets are (and aren't)
- Financial, exchange, and sentimental value — and why it matters
- The Invisible Estate: why most digital assets go undocumented
- The "Digital Asset Scavenger Hunt" families face after a death
- Common misconceptions that create real risk
Module 3: The Rules That Actually Control Access
- The legal layers: federal law, state law, and platform rules
- Why traditional estate logic doesn't cleanly apply
- The hierarchy of digital asset access
- Law vs. reality and what this means for after loss professionals
Module 4: What You Do (and What You Don't)
- What you do — and what you do NOT do as an after loss professional
- Why certain requests are legally risky, and how to respond
- Alternative pathways to take when standard access doesn’t work
- Timing, judgment & professional boundaries
Module 5: How This Plays Out in Real Life
- The 7-step Digital Asset Workflow
- Real case studies — what happened, what went wrong, and what to do instead
- How to approach any digital asset scenario (a 6-question framework)
- Recommendations for additional reading and resources
After this course, you'll be able to:
- Explain digital assets to clients in plain language and educate families before problems arise
- Know exactly what your role is and isn't, and confidently set boundaries without losing client trust
- Identify high-risk items, flag danger zones, and prevent irreversible mistakes
- Guide executors through platform processes without violating terms of service or the law
- Understand when to escalate to an attorney and how to document outcomes professionally
- Navigate the legal layers affecting digital assets: federal law, RUFADAA, and platform TOS
- Approach every new case with a framework, not guesswork
Designed specifically for professionals who work with families after a death.
This course is for you if you are...
- Supporting executors or estate administrators
- Helping families navigate estate settlement tasks
- Providing after-loss or estate organization services
- Working directly with clients on real cases
- Already familiar with the basics of estate settlement
This course is not for...
- Attorneys (this is not legal advice or legal training)
- Professionals looking for tax or financial planning guidance
- Those with no client-facing role in estate work
- Anyone seeking a technical or IT-focused solution
Without this framework:
- You advise a client to use a password and violate platform TOS, and the account gets permanently locked
- Family photos, videos, and irreplaceable memories are deleted and unrecoverable
- Thousands of dollars in forgotten accounts, subscriptions, and wallets go unclaimed
- Open accounts become identity theft targets and you didn't flag the risk
- You lose the family's trust — or worse, create liability for yourself or the executor
With this framework:
- You walk into every case with a clear workflow. No guesswork, no winging it
- Families trust you to guide the process correctly and safely
- You protect clients from irreversible mistakes before they happen
- You know when to act, when to pause, and when to call an attorney
- You become the professional every after-loss family needs in a digital-first world
Ready to show up prepared for every case?
Dealing with Digital Assets After a Death:
A Practical Framework for After Loss Professionals
Are you a current PALS Member?
MEMBERS SAVE HEREFrequently Asked Questions
Do I need any technical background to take this course?
Is this legal or tax advice?
How long does the course take to complete?
I already help clients with estate paperwork. Why do I need this?
What if platforms change their policies after I complete the course?
Is this course only for PALS members?
This course is provided for general information and professional development purposes only. PALS® and Professionals of After Loss Services, LLC are not licensed legal, medical, or tax professionals. Course content is not intended to constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Reproduction of course materials is prohibited without written permission from Professionals of After Loss Services, LLC.
