Set the Standard in
Digital Estate Planning

The Digital Estate Planning Board sets professional standards and confers the Digital Estate Planner (DEP™) designation on qualified practitioners. Demonstrate competence in digital asset planning and modern estate administration through an independent, standards-driven examination.

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Sample DEP™ Certificate of Designation: numbered and verifiable on the Board's website

Independent standards body

Open to U.S.-licensed attorneys

Committee-reviewed examination

Publicly verifiable status

Why it matters

Digital assets are now part of every estate

Digital assets are a permanent and expanding component of modern estates. Without structured planning, clients and fiduciaries face access failures, cybersecurity exposure, administrative delays, privacy issues, and avoidable financial loss.

The Digital Estate Planning Board establishes practical, defensible standards for identifying, documenting, securing, and administering digital assets in fiduciary contexts.

01

Standards

Clear, evolving standards for digital estate planning that reflect real-world technology, security practices, and fiduciary realities.

02

Examination

A practical, scenario-based examination built on the Standards, across legal, technical and fiduciary practice.

03

Designation

The Digital Estate Planner (DEP™) designation signals demonstrated competency in digital estate planning and an ongoing commitment to the DEP™ Standards.

The DEP™ designation

A rigorous, verifiable path to the DEP™ designation

Designed for attorneys who advise on modern estates, and earned the same way for everyone.

  1. EnrollConfirm your eligibility as a licensed U.S. attorney and accept the DEP™ Membership and Designation Agreement.
  2. Sit the DEP™ examinationA two-hour online examination across legal, technical and cross-regime practice. Two attempts are included each year.
  3. Admissions Committee reviewEvery passing result is reviewed by the Admissions Committee before the designation is conferred.
  4. Designated & verifiableReceive your numbered Certificate of Designation. Clients and colleagues can verify your status publicly at any time.
Digital Estate Planning Board


Digital Estate Planner (DEP™) Designation

The Digital Estate Planner (DEP™) is a professional designation conferred by the Digital Estate Planning Board on members who pass the DEP™ examination and uphold the DEP™ Standards. DEP™ signifies a demonstrated understanding of the core legal, technical and fiduciary aspects of planning for and administering digital assets.

$1,495 first year, exam included
$495 annual renewal

  • Examination-based designation focused on digital assets and online accounts
  • Standards-driven review process, and comprehensive online examinations
  • Annual renewal keeps your designation current
  • Designed for estate professionals navigating modern digital estates. Members may use the DEP™ designation under the Board’s usage guidelines.
Apply for the DEP™ Designation

Board Standards

Seven standards for digital estate practice

The competencies every DEP™ holder is expected to demonstrate, published openly and maintained as technology, law, and practice evolve.

  1. Client-Centered DesignPlans that are understandable, actionable and durable for clients, fiduciaries and beneficiaries.
  2. Security & PrivacySafeguards proportionate to the sensitivity and longevity of digital assets.
  3. Legal & Tax AlignmentAligned with fiduciary law, tax regimes, evolving statutes and documented intent.
  4. Technical CompetenceAuthentication, cryptographic control, secure storage and delegated access.
  5. Continuity & TransferabilityPlans that work through incapacity, death and estate administration.
  6. Professional ResponsibilityPreserving intent and privacy while giving fiduciaries clear authority.
  7. InteroperabilityCoordinated with the broader legal, financial and advisory picture.
  8. Read the full Standards →

About the Board

Independent. Standards-driven. Accountable.

The Digital Estate Planning Board is an independent professional standards body. It convenes expertise across legal, fiduciary, financial and technical disciplines to define clear professional standards and publish practical guidance for estate professionals, with an emphasis on defensible processes, operational clarity and professional accountability.

More about the Board →

In practice

What attorneys are saying

  • “Digital assets have outpaced traditional estate planning education. Programs like DEP™ are welcomed, and long overdue.”
    Estate Planning Attorney
    Boston, MA
  • “Clients increasingly expect guidance on digital assets. Formal standards and training are essential — DEP™ leads the market.“
    Estate Planning Lawyer
    Los Angeles, CA

Common Questions

The following addresses common questions about the DEP™ designation and the Board Standards.

The Digital Estate Planner (DEP™) is a professional designation conferred by the Digital Estate Planning Board on members who pass the DEP™ examination and uphold the DEP™ Standards. It reflects an understanding of the legal, technical, security and fiduciary considerations of digital estate plans that work during incapacity and after death.

DEP™ is currently available to attorneys licensed and in good standing in a U.S. jurisdiction whose work intersects with estate design, fiduciary administration, and client advisory services.

The designation is appropriate for practitioners seeking to demonstrate competence in digital assets while aligning their work with emerging professional standards.

No. DEP™ is designed to complement established legal and estate planning designations by addressing the distinct challenges introduced by digitally held property, online accounts and privacy, and technology-dependent access.

It recognizes an area of practice that increasingly requires both legal rigor and technical literacy.

By passing the DEP™ examination, followed by Admissions Committee review. Members maintain the designation through annual renewal and by upholding the DEP™ Standards.

No. DEP™ is a professional designation. It does not grant legal authority, replace licensure, or certify specialization.

Yes. DEP™ is a professional designation, like many membership designations attorneys use. Members receive the Board’s approved display formats and recommended disclosure language.

The Board Standards define the professional competencies expected of practitioners engaged in digital estate planning. They provide a framework for responsible practice while supporting fiduciaries in administering digital assets with clarity and legal authority.

The growth of digitally controlled assets has introduced planning, access, security, and administration challenges that traditional estate frameworks were not designed to address.

As a result, practitioners are increasingly expected to demonstrate familiarity with both fiduciary structures and digital asset architectures.

The Board Standards are developed through ongoing research and informed by legal, technical, security, and fiduciary considerations affecting modern estate practice.

Earn the DEP™ designation

Demonstrate competence in digital asset planning and modern estate administration through an independent, standards-driven examination.

Apply for the DEP™ Designation
Verify a DEP™

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