Mobile Paternity Tests Bring Risks and Rewards

There is a new trend emerging in father's rights and paternity cases: mobile DNA testing facilities that take tissue samples to determine whether a person is a child's biological father.

Mobile paternity testing facilities make it easier to find out if you are the father of a child. If you are involved in a divorce or child custody proceeding, the ease of obtaining a DNA test could streamline your case. However, it is important to be fully informed before using one of these testing services.

Not all mobile DNA testing facilities are created equal. Before enlisting the help of a mobile paternity testing facility in Georgia, be sure the facility sends the DNA material to a lab that has been certified by the Department of Health and the American Association of Blood Banks, now known as the AABB.

In addition, it is important for men to be sure they are ready to accept the duties that come along with biological fatherhood. Although a DNA paternity test can put aside confusion and open the door to a meaningful relationship, a positive test also often comes with a responsibility to make regular child support payments.

According to the director of DNA Diagnostics, a DNA testing laboratory, almost 500,000 DNA tests per year are completed in the United States. In some cases, the tests are administered to satisfy curiosity or confusion. More often, though, a court orders those involved in a heated custody battle to have a DNA test, especially if the father has concerns that the children may not be his.

Source: Reuters, "Who's your daddy? DNA clinic gives answers, sparks concerns," Lily Kuo, August 23, 2012.

To learn more about this issue, please visit our Paternity/Legitimation page.

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