(a) The court may appoint an individual or a corporation with general power to serve as trustee or conservator of the estate of a protected person. The following are entitled to consideration for appointment in the order listed:

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Terms Used In Alabama Code 26-2A-138

  • Attorney-in-fact: A person who, acting as an agent, is given written authorization by another person to transact business for him (her) out of court.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • following: means next after. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. Source: OCC
  • property: includes both real and personal property. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
  • writing: includes typewriting and printing on paper. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
(1) A conservator, guardian of property, or other like fiduciary appointed or recognized by an appropriate court of any other jurisdiction in which the protected person resides;
(2) An individual or corporation nominated by the protected person who is 14 or more years of age and of sufficient mental capacity to make an intelligent choice;
(3) An attorney-in-fact under a valid durable power of attorney previously executed by the protected person and giving the attorney-in-fact reasonably broad powers over the property of the protected person;
(4) The spouse of the protected person, or a person nominated by the will of a deceased spouse to whom the protected person was married at the decedent‘s death and the protected person has not remarried;
(5) An adult child of the protected person;
(6) A parent of the protected person, or a person nominated by the will of a deceased parent;
(7) Any relative of the protected person who has resided with the protected person for more than six months before the filing of the petition;
(8) A person nominated by one who is caring for or paying benefits to the protected person; and
(9) A general guardian or sheriff for the county who must be appointed and act as conservator when no other fit person applies for appointment and qualifies.
(b) A person in priorities (1), (4), (5), (6), or (7) may designate in writing a substitute to serve instead and thereby transfer the priority to the substitute. With respect to persons having equal priority, the court shall select the one it deems best suited to serve. The court, acting in the best interest of the protected person, may pass over a person having priority and appoint a person having a lower priority or no priority.
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