15-5-410. WHO MAY BE APPOINTED CONSERVATOR — PRIORITIES. (1) The court may appoint an individual, except as set forth hereafter, or a corporation with general power to serve as trustee, as conservator of the estate of a protected person. The following are entitled to consideration for appointment in the order listed:

(a) An individual or corporation nominated by the protected person if he is fourteen (14) or more years of age and has, in the opinion of the court, sufficient mental capacity to make an intelligent choice;

(b) The individual or corporation nominated as conservator of the protected person in the financial power of attorney of the protected person, or if no such nomination is made therein, the individual or corporation nominated as agent therein, provided that:

(i) If the nomination is of coconservators, or coagents, as appropriate, the court may consider whether appointment of coconservators is in the best interests of the protected person or whether a sole conservator should be appointed;

(ii) If several individuals or corporations are nominated in order of priority, the court shall consider such nominations in that order of priority; and

(iii) If more than one (1) financial power of attorney made by the protected person exists, the court shall determine which financial power of attorney is appropriate to be the basis for nomination of a conservator;

(c) The spouse of the protected person;

(d) An adult child of the protected person;

(e) A conservator, guardian of property or other like fiduciary, but not a fiduciary serving only as a trustee, appointed or recognized by the appropriate court of any other jurisdiction in which the protected person resides;

(f) A parent of the protected person, or a person nominated by the will of a deceased parent;

(g) Any relative of the protected person with whom he has resided for more than six (6) months prior to the filing of the petition;

(h) A person nominated by the person who is caring for him or paying benefits to him.

(2) A person in priorities (c), (d), (e), (f) or (g) of subsection (1) of this section may nominate in writing a person to serve in his stead. With respect to persons having equal priority, the court is to select the one who is best qualified of those willing to serve. The court for good cause, may pass over a person having priority and appoint a person having less priority or no priority.

(3) No convicted felon shall be appointed as a conservator of the estate of a protected person unless the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that such appointment is in the best interests of the protected person.

History:

[15-5-410, as added by 1971, ch. 111, sec. 1, p. 233; am. 1971, ch. 126, sec. 1, p. 487; am. 2004, ch. 52, sec. 2, p. 243; am. 2008, ch. 145, sec. 1, p. 429.]