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(1)Subject to section 37(1) of the Children Act 1975 (which provides for the making of a custodianship order instead of an adoption order in certain cases) an adoption order may be made on the application of a married couple where each has attained the age of 21 years but an adoption order shall not otherwise be made on the application of more than one person.
(2)An adoption order shall not be made on the application of a married couple unless—
(a)at least one of them is domiciled in a part of the United Kingdom, or in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, or
(b)the application is for a Convention adoption order and section 17 is complied with.
(3)If the married couple consist of a parent and step-parent of the child, the court shall dismiss the application if it considers the matter would be better dealt with under section 42 (orders for custody etc.) of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973.
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