What That Paternity Test Is All About

16th January 2009

There are many reasons for one to seek a paternity test; the most popular reason being to find out whether particular man (an alleged father) is the biological father of a certain child.  With that in mind, you’ll want the results to be as accurate as possible and while there are a variety of ways that you can get the results that include a home paternity test and a legal paternity test (or legal maternity test) which both employs the same procedures, only the legal (third party chain of custody) variety can is admissible in a court of law.  The reason this is so, is that a trained specimen collection technician (doctor, clinic, or technician) collects the samples, reviews and gather the identification and a fingerprint of the donor, and attests to the general custody of the collected samples.  In other words, the legal paternity test samples were never in the care or custody of any participating donor.  Whereas, the home paternity test may be self collected therefore the chain of custody was in the donor’s possession and therefore, not admissible in court.

What It Entails

First of all you’ll need to look for a place that has all the proper credentials that will ensure you can be satisfied with the results.  That is, the procedure was conducted and performed meeting the standards set forth by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB). It’s important to remember that while a paternity test that you do in the comfort of your own home can be just as accurate as a third-party collected test, only the ones that are carried out by a trained collection technician in AABB-accredited facilities will give you the results that you can use legally (in a court of law; social security, immigration or other governmental agency).  In either case, you’ll need to provide a sample of your DNA that will be able to establish your relationship to the other person(s) who is (are) being tested.

Facilities

Remember that you need to look for a place that you can trust and your search should stop at paternityexpress.com. Now here’s the place that can offer you all the best in a variety of different methods that includes everything from a paternity test while pregnant to all other versions of the early paternity test (at birth or umbilical chord blood). It’s critical that you take a good look at what the place you’re considering offers and that way you’ll see how good paternityexpress.com really is.

These are the labs that run each test two times so that you can be assured of accurate results. As well the experts here are able to guarantee your paternity test results in two to three days normally, or in five to seven days in the case of the prenatal test, and if you needed your results in very short time periods, for an additional cost, could even provide 24-hour results. One of the most impressive things about the way that the paternity test is carried out here is this company’s commitment to privacy. As well as being able to schedule your appointments close to your home or office, this is the company that has the strictest protocols in the business to ensure that your paternity test is carried out in the strictest confidence.

A paternity test could very well be a life altering event. It’s important to make sure that you trust the people who carry it out for you.

The History of The Paternity Test

15th January 2009

As we all know, modern science has made astounding advancements in the area of the paternity test that have made the procedure a common way to test the biological relationship between a man and a child. As you might imagine, the path to this modern version that has resulted in the technology even being able accommodate a home paternity test has taken some time.

English Law

The early paternity test and the one that we are familiar with now have shared a common path that started with an adherence to sixteenth century English Common Law that stated unless a husband could prove impotency or that he was out of the country during conception; he was generally bound by law as the father.

Modern Advancements

It’s only been during modern times that science has taken over and established a better way of establishing a legal paternity test. All these later developments have followed advancements in the study of the human genotype and the latest techniques in molecular biology. Still, the science behind the modern paternity test was really still in its infancy for most of the 1970s.

DNA Testing

With the advent of DNA testing the science behind what we think of today as the modern paternity test was brought to life. As these techniques were more developed, a wide variety of both paternity tests and paternity test laws were brought to the forefront as the science developed. Today the modern test can even include prenatal paternity testing as well as a variety of other options including grandparentage and siblingship testing.

The results that people obtain from these paternity test procedures are often used to settle questions of parentage within families. Other forms of these tests are used by Embassies and Consulates (a/k/a immigration paternity testing) in determining which family members get into a country after one petitions for them and proves a biological relationship exists by submitting to the suggested DNA testing. However, while there are many variations of the paternity test and many applications for DNA testing in general that even include forensic DNA testing, the most popular avenue for these procedures is still the simple paternity test.

Two Divisions

Generally, there are two distinct divisions of the paternity test. The at home version is considered extremely accurate but the more formal version of the paternity test is the one that can be carried out in clinics under the supervision of trained collectors and the results obtained here are generally considered a legal paternity test with results that are admissible in a court of law.

DNA Tests Erase Grey Areas

15th January 2009

Because human relationships can sometimes be so complicated, it’s great that science has developed a method of determining, by way of a DNA paternity test, the existence of a biological relationship between a man and a particular child. A paternity test is 99.9% accurate for inclusions in confirming the biological relationship between a man and a child; and at the same time it is 100% accurate for exclusion.  While there are many different services offering DNA testing, all paternity tests have three things in common: an alleged father, a mother and at least one child

1.      The Donors. Most often, the alleged father and a child is sufficient for a paternity test; however, when the mother is included a faster, more decisive conclusion is reached immediately.  Why is this?  It is always better to know the mother’s DNA patterns.  In some motherless cases where only the father and child’s specimens are initially provided, the lab may find “mutations” and it will then call for the mother’s sample to complete the paternity test.  Therefore, it is always better to provide the mother’s samples as the mother’s involvement helps to make the testing even more accurate as she contributed one half of the child’s DNA.  One area of testing that the mother is automatically included is in cases of a pre-natal DNA testing - testing during pregnancy or while the mother is carrying the child

2.      Even the USCIS has gotten into the fray of things, and are requesting proof that a biological relationship exists between the petitioner and his or her beneficiary by way of an immigration DNA test (a/k/a the “maternity” or “paternity” DNA test).  Of course, there are many other sorts of DNA tests for any number of applications.  Whatever the application, DNA tests are here to stay and more and more it’s settling many issues that arise in everyday life such as matters surrounding things like inheritance and estate matters.

Formal Tests - Two testing options are available for paternity testing:

The private paternity test (a/k/a “peace of mind” or “home“) where the client requests and are sent the sample collection kits.  The client or someone they appoint collects the samples themselves and returns them to our lab.  Not much documentation is required by the private test.  Simply completing the Chain of Custody included in the kit and signing it and providing the samples is sufficient.  It should be noted here that New York State Department of Health does not permit private DNA tests for its residents.

The legal paternity test (a/k/a court admissible) where the client goes into a doctor’s office, a sample collection site, or a clinic, and a disinterested third party (a trained DNA specimen collection technician) collects the donors’ samples and completes the formal chain of custody form.  This formal collection process entails the taking of the donors’ fingerprint, photograph, and making a copy of the donors’ government issued identification.  All these items together with the donors’ samples establish and attest to an unbroken chain of custody.  Meaning: the donors did not at any time have care or custody of the samples arriving in the lab.  This is what a court relies on (the unbroken chain of custody)   Paternity Express will even provide trained mobile technicians for people who are immobile or simply prefer not to go to a doctor, collection center.  We send out trained DNA specimen collection technicians at your request.  Of course you must make a copy of all documents (passport, drivers’ license, etc., etc.) and you must have the original of each document so the technician can review that the copy is indeed from the original.  For there to be a mobile collection in New York State, the client must have first obtained a doctor’s script, an attorney’s request, a social workers request, a court’s order, or a parole officer’s request in addition to having the identification documents and copies mentioned above.

One of the other applications that are taking a foothold into our society is the infidelity DNA test. This test will answer conclusively questions regarding who is the donor of a particular stain on an article submitted to the lab.  The article may be from many varying sources, but one should check with the lab that the item they want to send in is indeed testable before sending in their articles.  This sort of testing will settles the question regarding whether a spouse has been cheating, by establishing whether the spouse was the donor of the sample deposited on the article sent in for testing.  Of course, the spouse should also provide his or her sample so a DNA profile is available for comparison with the stain thereby proving or disproving the other spouse’s infidelity.

In this arena of modern scientific technology, it is possible to even trace a person’s lineage / ancestry / relationship with various other members of their family.

DNA Maternity Tests

14th January 2009

A Maternity DNA test determines whether a woman could be the biological mother of a child. It is similar to the DNA paternity test, and compares the child’s DNA pattern with that of the alleged mother to determine how likely it is that the child has inherited DNA from the alleged mother.  Maternity tests are being used to prove:

  • biological relationships in immigration cases
  • confirm that an embryo conceived through in vitro fertilization was implanted into the correct woman
  • resolve baby mix-up in nurseries or reunite adoptees to their biological mother.

In a maternity test, the child, alleged mother, and biological father are tested. The father’s participation in the maternity test helps to exclude half of the child’s DNA, leaving the rest for comparison with the alleged mother. If the father is not available, a fatherless test may be done and this involves additional analysis, without an additional cost to our client.  Most recently the USCIS seems to be asking for maternity testing when biological relationship is being claimed between the mother and her offspring.  It should be noted that although they (USCIS) are requesting proof of a biological relationship by way of DNA testing, and will provide a list of panel doctors to the petitioner and the beneficiary, the expense for the test is the responsibility of the petitioner and the beneficiary.

Order your DNA maternity test online or ring us 1-888-292-4362. Our testing fee is reasonable and sample collection fee is minimal.  Note: Because additional procedures are required by the New York State Department of Health, collection fees may vary for appointments made in New York.)

DNA Testing Helps Catch That Cheating Heart

9th January 2009

If you’re looking for an airtight way to catch that spouse that you suspect might be cheating, then there’s no need to look any further than DNA testing to get all the evidence that you need. And make no mistake, statistics show that large percentage of spouses cheat during a marriage or other kind of committed relationship. There’s no way around the evidence that DNA testing produces here either. If you think that your better half has some cheating ways, paternityexpress.com can help you expose their infidelity.

Like a paternity test, the objectives of these infidelity DNA testing procedures are to bring closure and piece of mind to those who are facing confusing and troubling situations and where sexual contact is concerned, there’s really no way around leaving some kind of damaging evidence behind.

Ultraviolet light is used to highlight various bodily fluids that might not otherwise be visible. Once these are located they can be accurately screened. Even the most common material like underwear, clothing and bed sheets can hold traces that can be detected through a variety of techniques including microscopy. This version of DNA testing has helped thousands prove their suspicions

DNA Testing Exonerates the Innocent

8th January 2009

Although many of us have been exposed to DNA testing mostly in the area of paternity testing, DNA testing is being used in many other areas.  One such area is forensic DNA testing  whereby the Innocence  Project which found that there have been 226 post-conviction DNA exonerations in United State’s history. These stories are becoming more familiar as more innocent people gain their freedom through post-conviction DNA testing.

From global problems like poverty and racial issues to criminal justice issues like eyewitness misidentification, invalid or improper forensic science, overzealous police and prosecutors and inept defense counsel continue to plague criminal justice systems worldwide.  The Innocence Project has found to date in the United States:

  • Seventeen people had been sentenced to death before DNA testing proved their innocence and led to their release.
  • The average sentence served by DNA exonerees was 12 years.
  • About 70 percent of those exonerated by DNA testing are members of minority groups.
  • In almost 40 percent of the cases reviewed, the actual perpetrator has been identified by DNA testing.
  • Exonerations have been won in 33 states and Washington, D.C.

DNA testing has freed, and continues to free scores of innocent inmates around the country.  Here at Paternity Express, we offer many kinds of DNA testing services.

A Paternity Test Is Conclusive

8th January 2009

When two men claimed to be the biological father of Anna Nicole Smith’s baby girl, the court decided that to get to the truth of the matter and that a paternity test was quite in order.  After only a few days waiting the court had a conclusive report on whom the real biological father was.  The mystery was solved, and despite what and who was saying so and staking claims to the child, the court got positive identification of the true biological father’s identity.  Paternity testing has now become the commonest, fastest, most definitive method of proving or disproving parentage of a child.  Overall, DNA Testing has become quite common and affordable and many companies provide DNA Testing through use of AABB approved labs.

At Paternity Express we provide all sorts of DNA testing, although the most common requests are for paternity testing and Immigration DNA Testing or some form of family relationship testing.  Whatever your need, paternity, immigration or another DNA test, you should know that it can be found right here.

Most Reliable Method

DNA testing is the most powerful, reliable, method of proving or disproving parentage. It is commonly used in Paternity, Immigration and Forensic cases. It conclusively answers difficult questions, resolves disputes regarding a person’s parentage or siblingship; it helps streamline court proceedings, and facilitates pre-trial settlements. DNA tests may be performed from many sorts of biological specimens including, but not limited to blood, buccal (mouth) swabs, sperm, hair (with roots intact) post-mortem; or autopsy specimens and products of conception. DNA tests routinely provide results with an accuracy of greater than 99.99% inclusion and 100% exclusion.

DNA Testing Is Science Helping People

1st January 2009

It wasn’t that long ago that DNA Testing was the stuff of science fiction, but now what was once the stuff of fiction is reputable science fact that has been helping people clear up various parentage situations for years. It’s important to be aware that everyone inherits their genetic blueprint from their biological parents.

With the scientific advancements that took place years ago, it’s possible for the relationship between a man and a child to be determined with a simple test and a short waiting period for the results. This most common DNA Testing procedure is called a Paternity Test and it determines biological relationships between these people.

However, there are other variations including Immigration testing which helps to reunite families after one member goes ahead to establish a new home in a foreign land. The results of these procedures are so accurate that many Embassies now require this version of DNA Testing be used. 

One of the prerequisites to having a positive experience regardless of which of these tests you need is trust that the laboratory handling the test has the proper credentials. It’s critical that you find out all you can about their DNA Testing procedures beforehand.

Our Labs are certified by The American Association of Blood Banks, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, CLIA, and the New York State Department of Health