How do I get a paternity test?

Paternity testing is a very simple, painless procedure that can establish with 100% certainty if a man is not the father, or with 99.99% probability that he is. If conducted with reasonable care, modern paternity testing is highly reliable, even if you gather the samples yourself. 

For many people, the issue of paternity is a purely personal one. The mother may be unsure of who is the father, or her partner may have suspicions of his own. In such cases, although the test is simple and painless, the results are often quite the opposite, and paternity testing for your ‘peace of mind’ may not provide that at all. You should carefully consider the impact the results may have on your relationship, and decide if they may turn out to be harder to live with than your current suspicions.

This article is written by Jackie Griffiths, a freelance journalist who writes health, medical, biological, and pharmaceutical articles for national and international journals, newsletters and web sites. 

If you decide to go for paternity testing for your own peace of mind, then you will not need to attend a clinic. Test kits can be purchased online and the samples posted to the laboratory. The results will then be posted back to you within a few days, or you can access them online via a password supplied. Although these tests are quick and easy, it should be noted that the results of this kind of test are not legally binding and cannot be used in court to dispute maintenance or access rights.

Costs and value for money 

The average price for peace of mind paternity testing is £200 - £300, although budget tests can be found for less than half of that. While it may be tempting to save a few pounds with a budget test, this is not advisable. Given the magnitude of the issue, it is simply not worth the risk of receiving an inaccurate result. Shopping around on the internet will give you an idea of the average charge, and anything that is much less than this should be avoided.

Whatever price you pay, you should ensure that the lab is ISO 17025 accredited and conforms to the Code of Practice set out by the Department of Health.

Legally binding paternity testing 

For a test to be legally binding, it must be undertaken by a registered laboratory, with samples either taken at the lab or by a responsible person, such as your GP. In either case, you will need to provide evidence of identity before the test can be undertaken.

This kind of paternity testing is not necessarily more accurate than peace of mind tests, however the way in which the samples are collected means the results are guaranteed to be authentic. Legally binding tests will cost a little more – generally £300 - £400.

Issues to consider 

As discussed earlier, the fact that you can get a paternity test does not automatically mean that you should. There are many complex emotional issues to consider first.

Following changes in the law in 2006, all parties concerned must now give written consent for paternity testing, and all have a legal right to know the result. This means that you must air your suspicions to your partner in order to have the test done. Even if the result proves your suspicions to be unfounded, merely asking for the test may cause irrevocable damage to your relationship. Bear in mind that brothers and sisters from the same parents may have widely different appearances and personalities, and this is not automatically a cause for suspicion.

There are also the feelings of the child to consider. If the child sees a man as his or her father, finding out that they are not, may not be in the child’s best interests – at least not in the early years of development. Before you undertake a paternity testing, you should discuss if, how, and when you are going to tell the child about the results.

Similarly, if a man is happy to think he is the father of a child, there may be little to gain in him finding out that he isn’t. Even the most loving father may struggle with the knowledge that a child is biologically someone else’s.

Clearly the whole issue is incredibly complex and you should consider counselling, either individually, or as a couple, to make sure you’re as well prepared for the outcome of the test and the impact it will have on your relationship as you can be.

Make an enquiry about DNA testing/paternity tests

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Read the DNA testing guide

Take a look at our Guide to DNA Paternity Testing, provided by Cellmark. Cellmark are happy to answer any questions that you may have about DNA tests.

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