40-3-125. Hearings. (1) The court shall fix a reasonable time and place for hearing on the petition and shall cause the notice of the filing of the petition and the time and place of the hearing as it considers necessary to be given to the respondents. The court may, when it considers it necessary, issue a citation to any respondent requiring the respondent to appear at the time and place stated in the citation and may require the attendance of witnesses as in other civil cases.

(2) For the purpose of conducting hearings pursuant to this chapter, the conciliation court may be convened at any time and place within the district and the hearing may be had in chambers or otherwise, except that the time and place for hearing may not be different from the time and place provided by law for the trial of civil actions if any party, prior to the hearing, objects to any different time or place.

(3) The hearing must be conducted informally as a conference or series of conferences to effect a reconciliation of the spouses or an amicable adjustment or settlement of the issues of the controversy. To facilitate and promote the purposes of this chapter, the court may, with the consent of both of the parties to the proceeding, recommend or invoke the aid of physicians, psychiatrists, other specialists or scientific experts, or the pastor or director of any religious denomination to which the parties may belong. However, the aid may not be at the expense of the court or of the county, unless the county commissioners of the county specifically provide and authorize the aid.