Bloomington Business Attorney.
Other lawyers have given some fine answers. One additional point to consider: if your own lawyer knows your business is doing something against the law, that lawyer sometimes has a duty to report to authorities. Basically that duty would arise if the lawyer knows, or has good reason to know, of actual or likely bodily harm. Otherwise, the lawyer generally has to preserve the confidentiality of the client.
The answers are going to depend on what state your mother claimed for her residence when she died. States have laws called "intestacy" which set up default rules for who inherits when there is no will to be found. Power of attorney documents are probably useless since they actually terminate when the person who signed them dies. You should consult a lawyer who is licensed in the state where your mother resided at the time she died. That lawyer can help you understand your rights under that...