DNA Testing
When determining paternity or custody of a child, there are many cases when the mother isn’t 100 percent certain of the father and therefore needs a DNA test for the answer. This is especially important if the father wants to prove paternity for visitation rights or even custody of a child in case of a divorce. DNA testing is the clearest and most efficient way to determine paternity, and is usually 99.99 percent accurate. These types of tests used to be terribly expensive, but they have recently become much more affordable and can even be administered at home.
Before choosing a lab for DNA testing, you should check its accreditations. Not all labs are equal and you should use the top labs when dealing with something as sensitive and important as DNA testing to prove or disprove paternity. Many people believe that you have to wait until the baby is born to perform a DNA test, but that is not the case. Paternity testing can be done between the 10th and 24th week of pregnancy.
Testing Result Options
Paternity testing results can come back as soon as a few days, but shouldn’t take more than a week. Many people are concerned about using needles but you can take a DNA sample without drawing blood. You can use hair and even saliva. Once the samples are sent to the lab, the tests will produce one of the following results:
- An exclusive ruling stating the subject is without a doubt not the father
- An inclusive ruling proving the man has a 99.99 percent chance of being the father
Before you can move on in your paternity or custody arguments you may need a DNA test and also a professional attorney.
Contact Us
If you have questions or need legal representation during your divorce or custody case, contact the Raleigh divorce lawyers of Marshall & Taylor P.C., at 919-833-1040 today.