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DNA paternity testing: alleged versus biological evidence

On Behalf of | Aug 13, 2019 | Child Support

In Arizona and across the United States, divorced men may need to take DNA paternity tests to prove or disprove biological fatherhood. Parental questions are important issues affecting the upbringing of children. Establishing paternity is significant for a child conceived out of wedlock because an unmarried man is not automatically the legal father of his partner’s child. Instead, he is called the baby’s “alleged father” unless a DNA paternity test shows that he is the biological father. Additionally, the law does not require an alleged father’s name to appear on the baby’s birth certificate.

A positive DNA paternity test determines that a formerly alleged father is now a biological father. In this case, the court issues an official order requiring that the father pays child support as a way of caring for the child’s upbringing. The biological father is also a potential custodian of the child. States can order paternity testing in various ways.

In some states, alleged fathers can go to a certified AABB laboratory to take the test. In other situations, the baby’s parents have options to sign voluntary legal acknowledgments stating that the man is the biological father. Some states issue paternity orders via the official child and family service agencies. A DNA paternity test can help resolve any of these official orders.

DNA paternity tests will not hold up in a court of law unless they are performed at certified facilities. A man who wants to know if he is a child’s biological father can buy an affordable home DNA test and mail the sample to a lab. However, this type of test performed by a DDC lab is not usually acceptable as legal evidence of paternity. An alleged father with questions related to paternity may want to consult with a family law attorney.

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