Does your estate plan include your digital assets? It should.

People often don't think of their social media accounts, online banking, email accounts and other digital assets when making their Wills, Powers of Attorney and other estate planning documents. One catastrophe, however, can result in bills going unpaid, computers being locked, and family members scratching their heads.

My mother was unconscious for an extended period of time a few years ago, and we could not find any of her passwords for her laptop computer, online banking or social media accounts. It added stress to an already stressful situation.

Thank goodness my mother recovered. But I have urged my mother to write down all of her passwords and keep them in one place in case of another emergency. You should, too.

Experts recommend using a different password for each online account for security reasons. It's best to keep those passwords in a secure place (like a private notebook, flashdrive, etc.), and make sure at least one trusted family member or friend knows where to find that notebook or flashdrive.

Protecting your passwords is just one step you need to take. Because your digital assets will probably outlive you, it is important to plan what will happen to your virtual life when you are gone. Talk to your attorney about including your digital assets in your estate plan.