In some cases, it’s necessary for the courts to step in and require DNA testing to determine who the biological parents are of a child. This is important if there are issues involving custody, visitation or child support, for example.
If two people aren’t married at the time of delivery, the baby will not have a legal father until parentage has been established. If the alleged father is claiming the baby is not his, the court may order a DNA test to prove or disprove the claim.
After a DNA test is performed on the mother, alleged father and child and it determines that the two are indeed the parents, a Declaration of Paternity will be issued. This means that both parties will have all of the normal rights and responsibilities of a parent. For the non-custodial parent, this means that he or she will need to pay child support, half of the uninsured health-care costs and other obligations.
Obviously, establishing paternity is a very important matter to resolve. The child deserves to have both names listed on his or her birth certificate, and to be legally and emotionally supported by both. So if you need to know more about court-administered DNA testing, call one of our consultants today. We’ll answer all of your questions and get you started with the process.