Over past few years, science has brought the use of DNA testing to the front pages of our newspapers. Its use in criminal cases has helped to convict the guilty and free the wrongly accused. Maybe an even more prevalent use of DNA is found in today’s television talk shows; solving family conflicts through paternity tests. However, using a national paternity lab can be helpful for many kinds of people in many different situations.
DNA paternity testing compares the DNA of two test subjects to prove or disprove their blood relationship. This type of testing is actually very accurate. A paternity test from a national lab can calculate the probability of kinship up to 99.9% or greater. These tests are so conclusive because more than just blood type is used to prove the relationship. DNA can be matched specifically and precisely to establish paternity. By using a national paternity lab, you can be assured that the results are very conclusive.
Many people make use of paternity tests in court cases. They are used to establish paternity in a child support case. A mother will make use of such a test to prove the father of her child is legitimate. The father may also want to go to a national paternity lab to ensure himself that the child is his and not someone else’s. DNA tests can be used by adopted children when they are trying to verify and get proof of their biological parents, siblings, and other relatives. You may also need a DNA test to prove you are a relative in the case of a will, insurance claim, or inheritance question. A person may even choose to get a DNA paternity test because he or she doubts the results of another paternity test that has been done previously.
In order to obtain an accurate and reliable paternity test, the national paternity lab you choose will need a small sample of a DNA-rich specimen. If you do not mind the pain of a needle, they will take a small blood sample. However, if you would like to avoid the pain, they can take a buccal swab of the inside of your mouth to obtain cheek cells. Saliva is not a decent substance for DNA testing. Once the samples have been collected, the results will be made available to you in approximately five days.
Payments for the test will vary from lab to lab but you can expect to pay between $400 - $700 for a paternity test. You will have to make an initial deposit of that price before you even take the test. In addition, because national labs have local facilities in most states, you probably will not have to travel far in order to get the samples takes. However, you will have to pay $10 - $35 for the collection of the specimen. This amount is not included on the price of the test itself. Because of the high price of these tests, be sure that this is your only way to test for paternity and that you will not have to pay for this process more than once.
By Tamara C. Jude