(a) As soon as practicable after an action to declare the existence or nonexistence of a parent-child relationship has been brought, an informal hearing shall be held. The public shall be barred from the hearing. A record of the proceeding or any portion thereof shall be kept if any party requests, or the court orders. Rules of evidence need not be observed.
(b) The court, in its discretion, may waive a hearing on an uncontested parentage complaint submitted by an individual who gave birth to a child, an alleged genetic parent of the child, a presumed parent of the child, or a functional parent of the child with proof provided by affidavit.