paternityexpress.com

We came across a case the other day where the father of a 20 year old young man and his three older siblings were requested by the immigration / consulate in their country to do a paternity test to establish a biological relationship to the person (the only father they had known all their lives) who was sponsoring them for permanent residence into the U.S.; they needed immigration paternity testing. Twenty years ago, paternity testing was not as common, available or as affordable as it is now.  Testing was completed, and as it turns out, a biological relationship could be established with the three older siblings (the man had indeed sired the older boys) they belonged to the tested father, however a biological relationship could not be established between the man and the 20 year old; results of the 20 year old was and exclusion (the alleged father was not his biological father). This presented a quandary for this family. 

Most recently we did another test for a young man, seventeen going on eighteen who would be graduating from high school shortly and would be entering into the armed forces, his girlfriend, had just given birth to what he believed to be his child.  He wanted to provide support and medical benefits for the child he would be leaving behind for some timd.  However, his mother insisted that he do a DNA paternity test, because the army would need some form of documentation as proof that he was the biological father of this child he was claiming to be his and would be putting on his benefits plan.  Both parents and the child participated in the paternity test and three days later the young man found he was not the biological father of the newborn.

In the former case, the science was not yet available and as readily affordable to the common man, in the latter it was.  In either case hearts were broken but they both fathers knew where they stood. 

DNA Paternity testing is now so easily available and affordable to everyone who needs it, it baffles one that it is not being used even more that it is.  Because it is so easily arranged, a simple telephone call, whereby you answer a few questions and you can secure an appointment for testing with results in as little as three days; even in as little as 24 hours if one is willing to pay for the faster service.  Although the younger generation is more savvy, they are using this science more and more to protect themselves and their assets.  No longer should one guess or accuse, simply arrange for testing to be done.  Even when an alleged father is deceased or otherwise unavailable for sample collection, through the use of reconstructive DNA testing such as grandparentage testing, avuncular testing, among others are available.

So, no one need harbor doubts, they simply use the science to find out.

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.