Whoever knew Margaret, would never have thought that she was keeping her secrets ready to divulge in case anything happened to her. Or that she kept all her essential information readily accessible for emergencies. She was fit, living and loving life with her family, to the full. Why would she care about death, much less always be prepared for it?

Margaret lived with her son, Matthew, and grandchildren, Masie and George, in Edale, a small, tucked way village in the heart of the Peak District. With its own railway station, village hall, visitors centre and parish church, she found it easy to keep Maisie and George entertained outdoors and she met new people throughout the year as a volunteer in the visitor’s centre. She was dedicated to her family and was the centre of their lives supporting them through the usual challenges of primary school. Christmas was even more exciting with the tree and Margaret’s two daughters visiting with her other 5 grandchildren in tow.

With 35 years’ experience in corporate marketing, Margaret managed a small online consultancy with 3 staff, advising SME’s on how to market their services. Being in demand, she often delegated work to spend more time with family. She was an avid social media user, connecting with far-flung family and friends, recording precious moments, and sharing her recent photos.

Sadly, Margaret had a stroke in February whilst walking with friends in the Peak District, the ambulance was quick but after three days in hospital, she didn’t make it.

Matthew went into autopilot, dealing with the immediate arrangements, helping his children and his sisters through the grief and funeral. He had always known that his mother had expressed her funeral wishes using an online service (SharedAffairs) and he had an email about it in his records. He logged on to the www.sharedaffairs.com app and found a wealth of info she had locked away like her Funeral wishes for a simple service in the village church, a list of essential people to invite, the types of flowers and music and a short message she wanted people to hear. He found she had paid for a funeral package with a Funeral Director and he didn’t have to make any difficult decisions, he just followed her wishes. His sisters didn’t question any of the arrangements knowing their mother was being buried exactly as she asked for.

Matthew hadn’t realised how organised his mother had been. Having finished the funeral, he also found that she had left him a locked box with details of her will with a video message and instructions that she had been updating every time she had a chance. The SharedAffairs service had been her one-stop shop for all information she wanted to pass on and only to be seen if something had happened to her. Matthew clicked the button to access her will and instructions, and, as she was no longer, he was granted access to the box within a week. She had used Chrono-Lock, the SharedAffairs smart locking mechanism, to allow access after a week giving herself time to intervene if anyone tried to access it while she was still around.

Matthew was blown away by the types of information she had helpfully put away for him and for others. A personal video message to him gave him huge comfort and closure. She expressed how she didn’t tell him often enough how much she appreciated him and his children being with her and how they enriched her final years. She even told him a few secrets that answered questions in his mind and explained events that were a mystery to him.

Margaret had recognised the importance of protecting her digital legacy and safeguarding her passwords in a way that they could be passed on to someone she trusted. Matthew had never known she had been so astute in her planning. She had used the SharedAffairs Probate Vault to pass on detailed information regarding her account, insurance, mortgage, business arrangements valuable assets and who to contact for her accountancy service and solicitors. Matthew was soon receiving calls from Margaret’s clients and staff for access to information they needed however, he was able to use the information to catch up with her clients and staff to work out how to let them continue operating without Margaret.

Through the SharedAffairs special vaults left for him, Matthew found solace and a newfound appreciation for the depth of his mother’s love and the impact she had made on others. He discovered heartfelt conversations, pictures that she had cherished, and messages that revealed the true essence of her thoughts.

He told his sisters about the information he had found and was surprised to hear that Margaret had also left them individual Special Vaults with their own video messages, photos, letters and secrets. She had also granted him eventual afterlife access (through the Chrono-Lock) to a set of Secret Diaries she has started writing since she started using SharedAffairs letting him know her private thoughts at different times of her life. He celebrated his mother’s life by sharing her stories with Masie and George, catching up with the people she cherished, and reading the secret diary she had kept on SharedAffairs.

Matthew now uses SharedAffairs himself and has found peace of mind that others will be able to easily arrange his affairs in case of emergency, and, because of the Chrono-Lock, if anyone tries to access any information beforehand, he would be alerted and would be able to block any access from anywhere in the world. He is ensuring his digital footprints can be managed after he’s gone and that he can continue to touch lives of those he leaves behind at the time when they need it most. He has been writing his Secret Diaries too!