S.C. Code Ann. § 62-5-410 – Who may be appointed conservator; priorities

(a) The court may appoint an individual, 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:
1. (1) a conservator, guardian of property, or other like fiduciary appointed or recognized by the appropriate court of any other jurisdiction in which the protected person resides;
2. (2) an individual or corporation nominated by the protected person if he is fourteen or more years of age and has, in the opinion of the court, sufficient mental capacity to make an intelligent choice;
3. (3) an attorney in fact appointed by such protected person pursuant to Section 62-5-501;
4. (4) the spouse of the protected person;
5. (5) an adult child of the protected person;
6. (6) a parent of the protected person, or a person nominated by the will of a deceased parent;
7. (7) any other relative of the protected person;
8. (8) a person nominated by the person who is caring for him or paying benefits to him.
(b) A person in priorities (1), (4), (5), (6), or (7) 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.
(c) A probate judge or an employee of the probate court shall not serve as a conservator of an estate of a protected person; however, a probate judge or an employee of the probate court may serve as a conservator of the estate of a family member if such service does not interfere with the proper performance of the probate judge's or the employee's official duties. For purposes of this subsection, "family member" means a spouse, parent, child, brother, sister, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent, or grandchild.