The number of people setting up a legal failsafe in case they fall ill is soaring, but nearly 51,000 applications were rejected last year.

Power of attorney allows a third party ... "Some states like New York have a checklist of what you want (the agent) to do or not want them to do," Kirchick says. "If you're going to give the ...

And designating a power of attorney is a key element of your estate plan. A power of attorney, or POA, is a legal document that gives another person, also known as an agent, the legal authority to ...