There are certain moral issues that should be addressed before considering a DNA paternity test. The mother who is not completely certain as to the father of the child, the desire for child support or custody, financial issues and the need to ensure the best for the child.

It is not news that a paternity test using DNA is now the most popular method of establishing the genetic identity of a particular child and parentage. After taking samples of DNA from the mother, the child and the presumed father, test results from an accredited testing lab will reveal the likelihood of the man being the true father to an accuracy of 99.7 percent or better. But what are the most likely reasons for a mother or alleged father in pursuing a legal DNA paternity test?

Child Support Issues

Legal Paternity Tests, Paternity Test Center For a man who is uncertain he is the father of the child, he may simply wish to not pay child support unless his genetic relationship with the child is confirmed.

If the mother was suspected of having multiple encounters with other men, then the presumed father is ethically justified in pursuing a paternity test. Indeed, in most countries he has a legal right to discover the truth.

But the reverse is equally possible in that the man is the true genetic father, seeks acknowledgement and truly desires to help the child in any way possible.

However, the mother may not wish this and may prefer to sever her relationship with him, either financially or in all respects.

Paternity Test Results,Paternity Test Lab With respect to the mother of the child, it may be the case that she is seeking financial support because she knows for certain that he is the father.

Regrettably, this is not always true and she may not even be sure of paternity, but still seeks support possibly because the man is financially stable and can provide for her child.

Even if this is considered morally wrong, should the mother be overly criticized for wanting her child to be brought up in a secure environment?

Child Custody Issues

In most legal cases involving child custody, the mother and alleged father are no longer together and frequently have a dislike for each other. But because there is a child involved this may become a far more important issue than the feelings they have toward each other.

A mother may seek a genetic paternity test in order to avoid sharing custody of the child. It is also possible that she truly wishes to share custody, but only under certain conditions that are not practical or acceptable unless a court of law dictates it.

The presumed father also has a legal right to pursue a test for paternity in order to secure access to his child. Although there are some uncaring fathers, the majority of men want to help, in any reasonable way possible.

Organ Donor DNA Compatibility

DNA testing, Organ Compatibility Analyzing and comparing the DNA of an organ donor with that of the recipient is extremely important in order to avoid tissue rejection issues. A DNA test can compare the donor and target DNA samples to ensure compatibility.

Of course, the most compatible organ donors involve the direct and genetically related family members, regardless of their relationship status. But this raises another specter of difficulty.

Suppose a man believing to be the father of his child discovers that his young son or daughter requires a bone marrow transplant, a blood transfusion or perhaps even a new kidney. The DNA testing is conducted and the results confirmed with high accuracy.

The DNA lab informs the man that he is not genetically compatible and cannot provide donor tissue because he is not the true father of the child. This would likely be emotionally devastating to a man that brought up the child assuming it was his. The consequences to the relationship between the mother and the man would likely be difficult, at the very least.

DNA Sampling for Paternity Test

Child - Paternity Test

Rape Cases, DNA Testing and Wrongful Convictions

Prior to the availability and acceptance of DNA test results in the courts of law, it has been the case that some men convicted of rape were truly innocent, and those that were actually responsible, never even suspected.

Many wrongful convictions of rape have been overturned by establishing genetic DNA proof that the assaulter was not the one who fathered the child. And as a mirror can reflect the truth only for those that wish to see it, a presumably innocent man is actually the one responsible.

Identifying Birth Defects with DNA Testing

A prenatal paternity test can help to determine if the future child will have any negative physical syndromes, but these are invasive prenatal tests that may affect either or both mother and child.

Before even conceiving a child, a couple can undergo DNA testing with a certified testing lab to be sure that there are no errant genes in their shared chromosomes that would negatively affect their child.

Unfortunately, in the past this was too costly, but now with affordable DNA testing, they can know for certain if there could be a problem with their future child. In a proactive manner, this is truly a positive spin on Planned Parenthood.

To summarize, most courts of law recognize the validity of paternity tests, but only if they are conducted by professionals and using accredited DNA testing laboratories. If a home paternity testing kit was used, it is highly unlikely the courts would acknowledge the results as legitimate. Only legal DNA paternity test results will be accepted as such in the majority of child support and custody cases.

Also, be aware of the motivation and moral consequences involved in undergoing a paternity test. The test results you discover with a DNA test may not be quite what you expected.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • •

Filed under: Paternity Test Information

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!