Identifying Your Father
Paternity test is a procedure to identify if an individual is the father of a child. DNA samples are extracted from the child, mother and the alleged father. The genetic structures of both mother and father will be inherited by the child to provide a unique DNA profile for the child. The test is normally carried out when a father denies the child or when the woman has a polygamous relationship during the time of conception.
The DNA test will assist in identifying the father of a child, mostly when it is contested for child support, inheritance or benefit claims. By getting the services of the experts who will analyze the samples, the results will be a proof of lineage of the child. The cost of paternity test varies from one company to the other. You can select from accredited laboratories or purchase a kit online. However for court-directed tests, approved testers will be provided to the parties and in-home test will not be accepted.
For court-directed test, the DNA testing needs to be done at an approved laboratory where the chain of custody is upheld. The chain of custody is the process for the DNA test to be accepted by the courts or government agencies. This involves extracting of samples from parties by a neutral third party. People being tested are identified by producing identification issued by the government. They are then photographed and fingerprinted for further identification and records. And tracking of the samples during the entire procedure is maintained.
The in-home paternity test kits would still employ the services of a laboratory, because samples are sent to pre-addressed envelopes included in the kit, for proper analysis. The result will be mailed back to you. This kind of test done at the privacy of your own home is not acceptable by any courts or government agencies, for that matter. The result is simply done to clear an individual’s conscience. And like the companies offering DNA testing services, the rates of in-home tests also varies.
Nonetheless, the DNA test will prove or invalidate a claim to a child’s parentage. This will provide the tested parties with a proof of what is being disputed—the child’s parenthood, or in this case, identity of the father. It is a right of a child to be raised by the parents. It is the responsibilities of the parents to give their child a proper home and upbringing for the betterment of the child.