Estate planning as a Upwork account holder

Upwork is a freelance marketplace where freelancers earn money on contracts with clients. The estate-relevant asset is the freelancer's available balance — real money that can be withdrawn to a bank account, PayPal, Payoneer, or Direct to Local Bank. Upwork publishes a process for an executor to recover a deceased freelancer's balance: legal documents are submitted to Upwork's Legal department, Upwork reviews them, then closes the account and distributes the funds through the freelancer's previously designated payment method. The Upwork account itself is non-transferable, and a freelancer's Job Success Score, Top Rated status, work history, and reputation are tied to the individual and are not inheritable. On the client side, money deposited into escrow for in-progress fixed-price contracts is held by Upwork and is refundable to the client's billing method when a contract ends with funds unreleased.

Upwork Inc. reviews transfer requests for Upwork balance on a case-by-case basis after the account holder's death. Approval is at the company's sole discretion, and documentation requirements must be met before any transfer is considered.

What happens at death

A freelancer's available balance on Upwork is real money and is recoverable by the estate. Upwork publishes a process titled "Collect funds for a deceased freelancer's estate": the executor or beneficiary submits the official death certificate, proof of beneficiary status, and a copy of their identification to Upwork's Legal department (by email to legalnotices@upwork.com, or by mail to Upwork, Attn: Legal, 3490 S 4400 W #70008, West Valley City, UT 84120). Upwork states it allows at least seven business days to review the documentation. Once approved, Upwork closes the freelancer's account and distributes all funds in the account via the freelancer's previously designated payment method (ACH, Direct to Local Bank, PayPal, Payoneer, and similar). The estate executor is then responsible for collecting the funds from that payment vendor. Upwork states it can also contact a deceased freelancer's clients or hired freelancers on the estate's behalf, and can accommodate a request to move funds to a different withdrawal method when needed. The account itself is non-transferable — Upwork allows one account per person and prohibits selling, sharing, or transferring a freelancer account — and a freelancer's Job Success Score, Top Rated status, work history, and reputation are tied to the individual and cannot be inherited.