Determining Which Paternity Test to Buy
People seek paternity tests for a variety of reasons. If you have decided to purchase one of these tests, you may be confused about which one would best suit your circumstances. In order to determine which kind of test might be best for you, the first step may be to explore the options currently available.
Legal Paternity Tests
A legal paternity test is one that might be used for a variety of legal reasons. You may need to buy an official DNA paternity test to resolve a child custody dispute, to back up a claim of child support, or to have the father’s name added to a birth certificate. Other common reasons for legal paternity tests include adherence to immigration guidelines, to settle a will or estate, or to claim social security benefits.
If you are going to utilize a paternity test for legal reasons, you should be aware that the DNA samples will need to be taken by a third party (instead of an involved party). The best third party to take the samples is generally a qualified health care professional, such as a doctor or nurse. The third party will need to properly identify the people being tested.
Prenatal Tests
Prenatal testing could be a viable choice in your case. This type of testing identifies paternity before a child is born. A prenatal test might be invasive or noninvasive. If it is invasive, that means amniotic fluid (which protects the fetus) or chorionic villi (found in the placenta) may be DNA tested. There may be some risk associated with invasive testing, so this should be done with the approval of a qualified doctor. Noninvasive prenatal testing only requires a blood sample from the mother and the possible father. No risk to the unborn child or the mother is involved with noninvasive testing.
Determining Which Paternity Test to Buy Tests Performed at Home
You may simply want to verify paternity for non-legal reasons. In that case, you could benefit from purchasing a paternity test that you can implement at home. This may be a more affordable choice, and you might be able to do an at-home test in as little time as one day. You would take the samples yourself, and then send them to a lab to be tested.
Determining which paternity test to buy can be the most important decision you make. Whether you want to purchase a paternity test for legal reasons or simply to satisfy your curiosity, you might choose from a variety of tests. You may benefit from discussing the matter with a lawyer before you make a decision. Just be sure that you have thoroughly explored all of the options, so you can make your choice with confidence.