Oregon has passed a law which allows the appointment of an individual to access the digital assets of someone who has died. This authority must be provided for in a Will, Trust or other estate planning document.
Illinois currently has no laws regarding digital assets after an individual dies.
Google and Microsoft have their own set processes regarding accessing an account when the owner has died. Yahoo and Twitter have no set processes. Facebook allows naming a “legacy contact” who can access your account after you die.
One way around the issue is to use an on line password manager, e.g. LastPass, which allows you to store account information in one place. If you were to die, the individual you had provided the information regarding the master password could use it to access all of your digital accounts.Consult your estate planning attorney for further information.