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Getting a power of attorney can be important, especially as relatives and loved ones fall ill or become unable to make decisions for themselves. So how do you go about getting a power of attorney?

A general power of attorney authorizes you to legally take on the affairs of someone else indefinitely, but it can easily be confused with other types of POAs.

By following these steps, getting a general power of attorney will not seem as bewildering.

It's the untold sequel to "Pretty Woman": A judge has ruled that the young daughters of a former prostitute have a valid claim to a slain Silicon Valley millionaire's estate. But the ex-hooker's estate fight isn't over yet.

Whether the daughters are entitled to half of Ravi Kumra's estate -- which is currently in the hands of his two grown daughters from his recently ended marriage -- is still up in the air, reports the San Jose Mercury News.

Though parents most often seek to establish paternity in cases dealing with child support and custody, it can be equally as important when it comes to inheritance.

Roman Blum, a Holocaust survivor and real estate developer, left a staggering fortune behind -- to no one. Why Mr. Blum would die without a will is nothing short of mind-boggling. His is the largest unclaimed estate in New York state's history, reports The New York Times.

With an estate worth $40 million and no heirs in sight, the state may soon claim the crown to a fairy tale ending worthy of "Anastasia."

We've all wondered about our posthumous digital existence and our emails just sitting there in limbo. However, it looks like Google's Inactive Account Manager can now put your digital soul to rest. The company unveiled a new service that lets users decide how their data should be disposed of after they pass away.

Here's what you need to know about Google's Inactive Account Manager feature:

One question that many people ask when contemplating their estate plan is how to avoid probate.

Probate is an expensive and time-consuming process that could significantly reduce what you leave to your heirs. While there may be some benefits of probating your estate -- like having court supervision and having the unwinding of your estate be in a very public forum -- the reality is that most people do not need these protections.

So how can you keep your estate out of probate?

What are a resident's rights at a nursing home? Many may be wondering after the death of a resident at a senior living facility in California late last month. A nurse at the facility refused to perform CPR on the 87-year-old woman, despite pleas from a 911 dispatcher.

The deceased woman's daughter, herself a nurse, didn't blame the staffer for apparently abiding by the facility's "no CPR" policy. It should be noted the facility was an "independent living facility," which is legally different from a nursing home.

Still, the incident raises questions about the legal rights of residents and patients at senior care facilities like nursing homes. Here are five rights that generally apply to all residents:

You go for a yearly checkup at your doctor's office, right? It's not because you're sick or something is wrong. But a checkup offers you a chance to discuss things with your doctor, ask questions, and get professional input on your overall health.

So why don't you get a "legal checkup" every year too?

After all, there are benign changes to your legal health every year just like with your physical health. Every time you sign a legal document or encounter significant life changes, it could affect you legally.

So what types of situations may lend themselves to a "legal checkup"? Here are just a few:

Hopefully you have a written will, especially if you have children, but after a divorce you need to think about changing what your will says.

What does your will say exactly? Most include provisions for what to do with your assets and possessions and specifies a guardian for your children. A will might also include your wishes with respect to a funeral or your final medical care.

After a divorce there’s a lot of paperwork that needs to be done and changes that need to be made so each person can be legally independent. Your will might be forgotten, but that’s a mistake.

Choosing your will executor is a daunting, and somewhat morbid, task. You're essentially picking the person who will distribute your estate after you die. That's why there are many considerations that come into play.

But aside from choosing who your executor will be, there are other issues you may need to address as well -- such as, whether or not your executor needs to be bonded.

Why would your executor need to post a bond? And, is this required under the law?

Did you know that most Americans don't have a living will?

A living will is not the same thing as a "conventional" will, which is a document that lays out your wishes for the disposition of your property. It can contain other "dying wishes" as well.

A living will doesn't necessarily relate to your dying wishes. It relates more to your living wishes. That's why it's called a living will.

Now, why would you need your living wishes spelled out?