§ 5-107 — Dispositional hearing

(a) Both petitioners shall appear in person at the hearing unless an appearance is excused for good cause shown. In the latter event an appearance may be made for either or both of them by an attorney authorized in writing to make the appearance, or a hearing may be conducted by telephone or other electronic medium.
(b) The court shall examine the petitioners, or the attorney for a petitioner not present in person, and shall grant the petition for adoption if it determines that:
(1) at least 30 days have elapsed since the service of notice of hearing the petition for adoption;
(2) notice has been served, or dispensed with, as to any person whose consent is required under section 5-103 of this title;
(3) every necessary consent, waiver, document, or judicial order has been obtained and filed with the court;
(4) the adoption is for the purpose of creating the relationship of parent and child between the petitioners and the petitioners understand the consequences of the relationship; and
(5) there has been substantial compliance with this title. (Added 1995, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)