If there’s any question about paternity, it’s very important to officially establish it so that all of the rights and obligations that each person has are fully understood. For example, someone who believes they are not the child’s parent may not want to have the obligation of paying child support. On the other hand, someone who believes that they are the child’s parent may be trying to seek out custody rights. As such, it is common for either parent to decide that it’s time to use a paternity test.
But if you do this, is that paternity test actually going to be accurate? Remember that the ramifications are significant. You could be ordered to pay child custody for nearly two decades, for example, or lose the right to see your child if the test is wrong. It’s very important that no mistakes are made.
Official tests are almost 100% accurate
The good news is that you can go to a medical lab and have an official test carried out. It will compare DNA from the child and the father to determine if they are related. When these tests are used, DNA evidence is so strong that it is often considered nearly irrefutable, at almost 100% accurate. Cases in which these tests get it wrong are exceedingly rare, so they can be used in paternity disputes.
However, you do have to go to the medical center to take an approved test with trained officials who know how to administer that test. Anyone who takes a home paternity test will not be able to use that test in court because it may not be reliable and the court cannot even verify where the DNA samples were obtained.
If you and your family are moving through a complicated situation like this, it’s very important for you to understand exactly what legal options you have.
