Legal Paternity DNA Test
Legal Paternity Testing
Trust the Paternity Experts
What is paternity testing?
A Paternity DNA Test can determine whether or not the tested man is the biological father of the child in question. In our case, this procedure involves collecting and comparing the DNA found inside the cheek cells taken from a sample of saliva from both the child and the suspected father.
How is a Legal Paternity Test Different from an At-Home Paternity Test?
The biggest differences between the two tests are than an at-home Paternity Test does not require proof of identity where a Legal Paternity Test all participants must identify themselves with state or federal identification (driver license, passport, or birth certificates for young children) and have a picture taken at the time of testing.
Legal DNA testing has a very different sample collection process compared to at-home paternity testing. Legal guidelines require that everyone involved in the court admissible DNA testing process have their DNA collected by an impartial third party. This can be done at facilities such as a medical office, health clinic, or a hospital.
Legal paternity testing also follows a strict chain of custody and sample collection procedure, as well as different shipping and handling methods than non-legal testing.
When should I Get a Legal Paternity Test?
A Legal Paternity Test is most often needed when dealing with matter of the court. Things such as a mandated court order or when applying to make changes to child support, child custody, changes to a birth certificate, and other legal matters.
Get the Legal Documentation you need
After receipt at our laboratory, results will be finished and your paternity report will ready and be sent to you within 2-3 business days after receipt in our lab.
Child Support, Adoption, Child Custody, Court Orders, adding a name to a Birth Certificate are common reasons for a Legal DNA Paternity test.
*Immigration DNA Testing is a separate process than both Home and Legal DNA, both in process and sample collection. For more information on Immigration DNA Testing see our US Immigration DNA Testing Page.
In the Las Cruces, NM/El Paso, TX area?
Schedule an appointment at our El Paso laboratory near N. Mesa and Restler
Steps For Legal Paternity Testing
Step 1: Order Your legal Paternity Test Online (Contact Us)
Order your DNA test like you would any other product online. Fill in your name, email, phone, shipping address.
For any Paternity DNA Test to be considered Court Admissible it must be shipped to and handled only by an uninterested and unrelated 3rd party.
This 3rd party will take responsibility for collecting the samples, verifying the identity of the participants, and returning the samples to our lab. This can be done anywhere, such as the third parties house, a medical or law office. This third party can be anyone, a lawyer, notary, family friend, doctor, nurse, or pastor. But most importantly it must be someone with no interest in the results of the test.
Detailed instructions can be seen here.
Step 2: Get your DNA Collected
Make sure to bring a federally recognized government ID, such as a drivers license, passport, or military ID. In the case of a child being tested, a valid certified birth certificate copy must be brought. These should be copied or photographed by the collector. You will also be required to have a picture taken by the collector (or elect to bring one with you) at the time of the collection. The collector will help you fill out the paperwork, sign, include all copies and pictures (hard-copies or send electronic copies can be emailed to Info@ValidityGenetics with the order number attached), and certify that the collection has taken place according to legal standards.
Step 3: Receive your Legal Paternity Results
After providing the sample at the collection site, the DNA test kit will be mailed in a secure and traceable package to our accredited home laboratory in El Paso, Texas. The professional laboratory technicians will handle your genetic samples according to the exacting standards set forth by our lab in preparing and processing the samples. Testing will be complete within two business days, the results will be double checked and verified for 99.99% accuracy, and after being signed off by our PhD lab directors we will issue a legal document to you via your email.
