(a) General Provisions. — All orders, findings, pleadings, recordings, exhibits, transcripts or other documents contained in a court file are confidential and are not available for public inspection: Provided, That unless the file is sealed pursuant to section seventeen of this article or access is otherwise prohibited by order, any document in the file shall be available for inspection and copying by the parties, attorneys of record, guardians ad litem, designees authorized by a party in writing and law enforcement. A magistrate or circuit judge may open and inspect the entire contents of the court file in any case pending before the magistrate's or judge's court. When sensitive information has been disclosed in a hearing, pleading or document filing, the court may order such information sealed in the court file. Sealed court files shall be opened only pursuant to section seventeen of this article.
(b) (1) Proceedings are not open to the public. — Hearings conducted pursuant to this article are closed to the general public except that persons whom the court determines have a legitimate interest in the proceedings may attend.
(2) A person accompanying the petitioner may not be excluded from being present if his or her presence is desired by the person seeking a petition unless the person's behavior is disruptive to the proceeding.