About the Board
The independent standard for digital estate planning
The Digital Estate Planning Board is a professional standards organization. We publish the DEP™ Standards and confer the Digital Estate Planner (DEP™) designation on U.S. attorneys who demonstrate competence in planning for, and administering, digital assets.
Why the Board exists
Digital assets are now part of nearly every estate
Email, cloud storage, online financial accounts, cryptocurrency, digital businesses and family photos now sit alongside the house and the brokerage account. Without structured planning, clients and fiduciaries face locked accounts, security exposure, administrative delays and avoidable loss.
There is no shortage of places to learn about digital assets. What has been missing is a clear, independent standard for what a competent practitioner actually does, and a way for clients to tell who meets it. That is the Board’s work.
What we do
Standards, designation and verification
Standards
Seven published standards define the legal, technical, security and fiduciary competencies of digital estate practice, maintained as technology and law evolve.
The DEP™ Standards →Designation
Attorneys licensed in a U.S. jurisdiction sit a practical, scenario-based examination. Every passing result is reviewed by the Admissions Committee before the designation is conferred.
DEP™ designation →Verification
Every DEP™ carries a unique designation number that anyone can check on the Board’s website at any time.
Verify a DEP™ →Independence
Independent. Standards-driven. Accountable.
A credential is only worth what it protects. The Board is organized so that DEP™ designation can’t be bought, assumed or quietly lowered.
- Published standards. What the designation requires is public, so anyone can see what a DEP™ holder is expected to know.
- The same exam for everyone. No shortcuts, waivers or vendor routes to the credential.
- Admissions Committee review. Every passing result is reviewed before the designation is conferred.
- Verifiable status. Each one is numbered and can be checked publicly.
- Sponsors without influence. Sponsors support the Board’s work but have no role in the Standards, the examination or designation decisions.
- A public benefit corporation. Digital Estate Planning Board, Inc. is a New York public benefit corporation.
Leadership
The people behind the Board
Richard Zack
Founder & Director
As an executor, trustee, fiduciary, and engineer, Richard has firsthand experience with the challenges digital assets create in modern estate administration.
Richard brings more than thirty years of technology leadership to the Board. He also leads Eternal Me, an estate planning platform, and previously served as a Vice President at Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu Linux. He has been featured in Computerworld, USA Today, and TechCrunch.
Eternal Me is a Board sponsor; like every sponsor, it has no role in designation decisions.
Board advisors
The Board convenes experienced practitioners across estate planning law, fiduciary administration, digital assets, cybersecurity and legal technology. They develop its Standards and designation, so its credentials reflect real-world expertise and professional rigor.
Interested in joining the Board? →Get involved
Become a DEP™
For attorneys licensed in a U.S. jurisdiction who plan for digital assets.
Become a DEP™ →Sponsor the Board
For companies, law firms, nonprofits and individuals who want to support an independent digital estate planning designation.
Sponsorship →Join as an advisor
For experienced professionals who want to help shape digital estate practice.
Join the Board →Questions? Contact the Board →