§560:5-310 Who may be guardian; priorities. (a) Subject to subsection (c), the court in appointing a guardian shall consider persons otherwise qualified in the following order of priority:
(b) With respect to persons having equal priority, the court shall select the one it considers best qualified. The court, acting in the best interest of the respondent, may decline to appoint a person having priority and appoint a person having a lower priority or no priority.
(c) An owner, operator, or employee of a long-term care institution or other care settings at which the respondent is receiving care may not be appointed as guardian unless related to the respondent by blood, marriage, or adoption, or otherwise ordered by the court. [L 2004, c 161, pt of §1]