DNA and paternity testing

DNA and paternity testing | help and info

Advances in genetics or DNA testing are making it easier for people to find out about inherited illness or paternity – that is, who the father of a child is. Although the technical procedures are increasingly simple, usually just a small blood sample or a saliva swab, there can be huge emotional consequences.

Before thinking about going ahead with genetic testing to determine paternity, it's really important that you consider what you will do if the result isn't what you expect or want. The consequences can be devastating for the entire family, and particularly for the child involved.

You might want to consider counselling first, to sort out whether paternity testing is the right thing for you and to help sort out how you will talk to your child about what is happening.

It's important to remember that just because one child looks different, or has different health problems, to its brothers and sisters, it doesn't mean that you should be suspicious about who the father is. These differences can be quite normal.

what can the test show?

Sometimes conventional blood testing will provide enough evidence to determine proof that a man cannot be the child's true father, or that there is a high probability he is the father of the child. If the conventional tests do not provide an answer a DNA test can prove whether or not there is a genetic relationship.

The test will either:

• prove 100 per cent that an alleged parent is NOT a parent of the child; or
• show a 99.99 per cent probability that they ARE a parent of the child.

A parent of a child may apply to the Child Support Agency for the assessment and collection of child maintenance. If the alleged father denies parentage, the Child Support Agency may take action to determine if he is the father of that child, which may involve offering a DNA test.

private tests

If you apply for a test privately, a GP will be able to arrange the blood test. Information on DNA testers is available from court offices, and your GP may also have information about DNA testers who do private tests. A person who has a test carried out privately will have to pay the fees, unless the client is involved in court proceedings, and is receiving publicly-funded legal services/legal aid.

court directed tests

For court directed tests, the parents will usually both have to pay for the cost of the blood tests. Details of approved testers and fees are held by the clerk of the court. The Citizens Advice Bureaux states that there is no maximum fee for DNA testing but it is likely to be in the region of £150 per person to be tested. It would be advisable to check the fees for the test in advance.

In 2001, the government issued a code of practice for paternity testing services. Companies must now also be accredited by the Department of Constitutional Affairs for genetic paternity testing (see help and info for a list of government approved testers). If the company is not accredited, the results of their tests will not be valid in court.

If you want to know more about tracing relatives our article lost touch? will give you some useful ideas and starting points.

This article is based on information from the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux.

(updated June 2005)

Read on for details of relevant organisations, websites and reading.