Florida DNA Paternity Testing
A few decades ago, having a child outside of wedlock was relatively uncommon. This has immensely changed in recent years, which has made it more important than ever before for men in Florida to find a way to establish paternity with a DNA test. Likewise, it is just as vital for some men to be able to disprove that they are the biological father of a particular child. Florida DNA paternity testing can be performed by a reputable laboratory. When certain chain-of-custody protocols are observed, these DNA test results can be used as evidence in a court of law.
Florida fathers are fortunate to have DNA paternity testing available as well as legal means for proving that they are the biological father of a child. Without being able to do this, men would have a much more difficult time being able to establish custody or even visitation rights. By the same token, a man may find himself forced into paying child support for a baby that he suspects does not belong to him. Florida DNA paternity testing and the court system can similarly help to disprove an assertion that he is the father of a child.
A paternity action can be filed in a Florida court by a woman who is an expectant mother or who already has a child. A man who suspects that he is the father of a child may also bring a paternity action. The child may similarly have the right to bring an action if paternity has not already been established. After paternity is established in court, questions of support, visitation and custody can be answered.
In Florida, a man may have legal paternity of a child even if the child is not biologically his. Legal paternity be established through a court action or by creating a paternity agreement that is signed by both parties. DNA testing is not required for this type of paternity because all parties are voluntarily agreeing on questions of support and visitation.
Biological paternity is a different matter. Florida law assumes that the male in a married couple is the father of the child. This is the case even if the female in the marriage is known to have had an affair. In this kind of situation, either of the men may insist on DNA paternity testing to arrive at a definitive answer as to who the child’s biological father is.
Florida DNA paternity testing can be particularly crucial in court actions. If a woman insists that a particular man is the biological father of her child and the man disagrees, the court can simply order the man to undergo DNA paternity testing. This can be done with cheek swabs of the suspected father, the baby and the mother. Blood sample collection is generally unnecessary. Because the matter is being decided by the court, strict chain-of-custody protocols must be observed.
These protocols mean that it is not possible for the cheek swabs to be performed at home and in private. Instead, they are often collected at a laboratory or court facility where a technician carefully packages and labels each sample. From then on, the samples are tracked and held in custody by a lab employee or other official so that they cannot be tampered with by anyone involved in the case. Test results are frequently sent directly to the court so that the judge may render a decision on the paternity action.
It’s also possible for Florida DNA paternity testing to be conducted privately at home. However, the results from these tests will not be court admissible. They may still be useful if a couple want to satisfy themselves as to the paternity of a child when they are entering into a voluntary acknowledgement of paternity.
You can put your trust in Bestpaternitytests.com to answer all of your questions about Florida DNA paternity tests.