Is DNA Paternity Testing Reliable?

 Posted on September 23, 2022 in Family Law

While most fathers are happily involved in their child’s life, not all fathers are or want to be. Furthermore, not all men who are alleged to be the father of a child actually are. Paternity can become a hotly contested issue, especially when one or both of a child’s alleged parents are involved in relationships with someone other than each other. Issues of paternity can become matters of urgent privacy, and men and women both may rightfully fear the impact of having the wrong man labeled as the child’s father.

Thanks to DNA testing, however, mistakes rarely occur when establishing paternity. More children are getting the resources and support they need because fatherhood is much easier to prove now than in the past. If you are trying to establish the paternity of your child - or trying to avoid being wrongfully labeled a child’s father - it is important to understand Illinois paternity law and have an experienced paternity lawyer representing you.

DNA Testing for Paternity

When parents of a child are married, or in a consensual relationship, they usually both sign a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (VAP) in the hospital immediately after the child is born. A husband in a heterosexual married couple is automatically assumed to be a child’s father.

When the child’s father is unknown or not present, paternity needs to be established in another way. If the child’s mother is aware of one or more men who may be the child’s father, she can ask a court to order any men who are a child’s possible father to take a DNA test. Men who refuse court-ordered DNA tests can face serious sanctions and be declared the father of a child anyway, so it is generally not worth trying to avoid compliance, especially if the goal is to avoid further publicity.

DNA tests work by collecting harmless DNA samples from tissue, usually from the inside of the cheek. Mothers, alleged fathers, and children need to submit tissue samples so the test can estimate a child’s parentage more accurately. DNA tests are highly reliable and can estimate a child’s father with nearly 100 percent accuracy. However, alleged fathers who are skeptical of the outcome of a test can request additional testing through a private agency.

Contact an Arlington Heights Paternity Lawyer

Whether you are a mother trying to establish paternity for your child or a man who believes you are wrongly being held responsible for a child that is not yours, contact the Arlington Heights paternity attorneys with A. Traub & Associates. We will help you understand your options under the law and ensure any paternity testing is reliable and trustworthy. Call us today at 847-749-4182.

Source:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs5.asp?ActID=3638&ChapterID=59