It is estimated that 5% to 20% of children have the wrong man identified as their father. While ‘dad’ doesn’t have to be a child’s biological father, there are situations where a paternity test is needed, such as child custody cases, immigration, property disputes, child support, etc. Sometimes, a non-legal DNA paternity test is done to find out the paternity of a child for personal knowledge or medical reasons.
What is paternity testing?
A paternity test determines whether a man is the biological father of a child by collecting a DNA sample using a mouth swab. The test is quick and painless, and it identifies the genetic connections between a man and the child.
All human beings have a high degree of genetic similarity, but the similarity between a father’s genetic code and his child’s is even greater.
By comparing certain genetic markers, DNA paternity testing can establish paternity with 99.999% accuracy.
Why do you want to do it?
Paternity testing can be done for personal or legal reasons.
A person may request a paternity test for personal reasons when he is not completely convinced that he is the biological father of a child, or when a woman has had multiple sexual partners and cannot identify the father of her child.
Courts often order paternity tests for legal reasons in connection with child custody and child support cases.
When a father is trying to gain parental rights to a child in a custody hearing, the parents are frequently ordered to do a court-admissible paternity DNA test.
Legal DNA tests are also required for immigration cases, where a family member is being sponsored for immigration to the US.
What should you consider before doing a paternity test?
The lab performing the test should be accredited by the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB).
What are the different types of tests?
There are two types of paternity tests: Legal (court-admissible) and non-legal DNA paternity test.
A legal DNA test is admissible in court, if needed. A proper chain of custody protocol is followed from the time of collection to when the results are released. Also, the identity of all the parties tested is verified and if necessary, photographs are taken for additional proof of identity. The documentation and the protocols followed make the test court admissible.
A non-legal DNA test is for informational use only. This means you cannot use the results in court or for any legal matter. This is a good route if you are testing for personal knowledge and do not plan to use the results in court.
How accurate are the results?
A legal DNA paternity test is 99.999% accurate.
At ARCpoint Labs of Southboro-Framingham, you can be confident of receiving an accurate, confidential, and rapid DNA paternity test. Click HERE to schedule your appointment today or call us at 508.281.0501.
ARCpoint Labs of Southboro-Framingham provides DNA paternity testing to many nearby communities including Westborough, Framingham, Hopkinton, Marlborough, Franklin, Sudbury, Ashland, Milford, and Bellingham.