Paternity test costs – What’s included?
Paternity test pricing depends largely on how the test results will be used. When court cases are involved, paternity testing generally costs more. However, if you are merely interested in having a paternity test performed for your personal use, you can count on incurring only a modest expense. Additionally, when the paternity test occurs affects pricing. Paternity testing in the womb is generally more expensive than tests that are performed after birth. Understanding what is included in the cost of paternity testing can help you decide which option is right for you.
Various court cases might require legal paternity tests. Matters involving child support, child custody, taxes, adoption, birth certificates, wills and estates and immigration are all common examples of these cases. A great many items are included in the price of these tests. Collecting the specimens and having them tested at a state-of-the-art facility are only the beginning. The lab is responsible for producing legal documents that attest to the accuracy of the results. Moreover, a strict chain-of-custody must be observed so that the samples are not been tampered with. The many layers of certification that are involved cause these tests to be more expensive. Customers can expect that the official test results will be delivered to the pertinent court or government officials.
Paternity Test Costs – Know why you are testing.
Some people want the results of a paternity test but don’t intend to use the, as evidence. This eliminates the expense of having the specimen collected at the facility. The cost is also reduced because the chain-of-custody protocol is less stringent. Labs that perform this kind of paternity test can mail kits to the participants so they can collect their own sample. This means taking a cheek swab and then sending the sample to the lab. The full documentation of the results is included in the price.
If you’re interested in paternity testing before birth, then it’s necessary for the baby’s DNA to be collected through more invasive means. Typically, this means that the mother must visit the gynecologist to have a sample collected. This often incurs an extra expense. Once the sample is collected, it is sent to the lab. Pricing is determined by how the results are used. Legal tests will be more expensive because of chain-of-title issues. Tests results that will only be used for personal knowledge generally cost significantly less.
Whether you’re an adult who wants to discover more about your parentage or you are the mother of a baby and are unsure of the identity of the father, paternity testing can be immensely helpful. For providing valuable evidence in court cases or satisfying a lifelong curiosity, paternity testing before birth and at any time thereafter can answer a multitude of questions.