What is a Legal Paternity Test? Why is it Used?
If you have ever had a child in a relationship and the relationship did not end up working out, you may be fighting for child support so that you can properly provide for all your child’s needs. These battles can get ugly and some resort to saying the child isn’t even theirs. This is where a legal paternity test comes into play. These paternity tests are court ordered and can be used as evidence in the case to prove if someone is the biological father of a child.
Learn More: How Does a DNA Test Determine Ancestry?
The reason that you must have a legal paternity test done instead of one done from home is so that the court can verify the DNA came from people that are listed on the test. If courts allowed a home paternity test to be used in these cases, anyone could have submitted that DNA and claim it was from the person they are battling in court.
Other instances that a legal paternity test is required to that of a home paternity test are:
- Child Custody
- Immigration
- Adoption
- And many more
There are also differences in how a legal paternity test is administered compared to a home paternity test. When conducting a home paternity test, the test kit will be mailed directly to you. You will swab the inside of the cheeks of the child, possible father, and the mother (she doesn’t have to participate but it is recommended). After, you send the test back to the lab and wait for the results to be mailed back to you.
With a legal paternity test, you will have to go through a few added steps so that the DNA test is not compromised in any way. You must call to order a test and it is sent to a designated collection center. So that there is no chain of custody issues, our team of highly trained professionals handle all samples directly. We will collect the DNA samples and document every step of the process so there are no issues when presented in court. Our professionals will verify all DNA samples came from the participants in the court case, allowing for these samples to be court-admissible. A witness is always required in these types of paternity tests to ensure all samples came from the correct participants. The process for testing the DNA is the exact same as a home paternity test, but these extra measures are taken so that the samples may be used in court.
Even if you have not had to reach the point of taking someone to court over child support or a custody battle, it is worth taking the extra step and money to perform a legal paternity test. This way, in case the situation ever does reach that point, you are prepared to present the results to a court. Already having results from a legal paternity test will make this process go much faster and cut the hassle of a long, drawn-out battle.
Learn more about all DNA Testing at ReliaLab Test
