In February, Anne W. Coventry, a partner in the Estate Planning & Administration Group, testified before a meeting of the Maryland House Health & Governmental Operations Committee in Annapolis in support of the Maryland Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (HB531). This legislation is critically important to ensure that (i) online service providers cannot seize (or hold in limbo) the digital property of a deceased account holder, causing his or her family to lose value in the estate (and incur additional expense trying to get it back), and (ii) account holders can designate someone to manage and secure their digital property on their behalf in the event of incapacity, to protect against identity theft and damage to their reputations. Anne spoke on behalf of the Maryland State Bar Association’s Estate & Trust Law Section. In March she will appear before the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on the corresponding Senate Bill (SB429).
We encourage Maryland residents to contact their legislators in support of House Bill 531 and Senate Bill 429.
