In some cases, couples may have serious questions about paternity. For instance, maybe there is a dispute. A woman says that a man is her child’s father, but the man claims that he is not the father. He says that the woman actually had a different partner and is just trying to claim that he’s the father so that she can seek child support.
When two parties can’t agree, then the only option may be to perform a paternity test. In the past, this was fairly difficult to do and was not considered a reliable science. But the good news is that modern paternity tests have come a long way. They can use DNA, so they provide accurate results 99.99% of the time.
In other words, for every 10,000 paternity tests that are given out, 9,999 of them are going to be accurate. So, while it is technically possible for a paternity test to be wrong, it almost never happens when these tests are carried out properly in a controlled lab environment.
It is worth noting that home DNA tests typically can’t be used in court. It’s simply too difficult for the court to know if the test was administered correctly or even if the correct people took the test in the first place.
Why is accuracy so important?
Paternity is important for both sides because it can define their rights and obligations. In the example above, if the man is the father and he’s just trying to get out of his child support requirements, the paternity test can ensure that the child actually gets the financial support they deserve.
On the other hand, perhaps the man wants to be involved in the child’s life but would not have custody rights if he can’t show that he is the father. The paternity test helps to protect those rights and his relationship with his child.
You can imagine how complex these situations can become, so be sure you know about all of your legal options if you find yourself in this position.