Uses of DNA Testing for Paternity Establishment
DNA testing is crucial for establishing paternity. When a child is born out of wedlock, the biological father can conclusively verify his relationship to the child through DNA testing.
By establishing paternity, a father can ensure that his child will have access to:
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Social Security benefits
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Health and life insurance
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Inheritance
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Veterans' benefits
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Military benefits
Additionally, the child will gain information about the family's medical history and will be able to take his or her father's surname.
Through paternity establishment, the father will gain legal rights that will affect his participation in
child support
, visitation, and child custody.
Oftentimes, people who participate in DNA paternity testing simply want to confirm a relationship between family members for personal peace of mind.
Peace of mind DNA testing
(sometimes called "curiosity testing") is often performed through in-home tests made available by most paternity testing companies. For an in-home paternity test, for example, a family will receive a collection kit and both the parents and the child will swab their own cheeks. These samples are submitted to the testing company. The results of a peace of mind test are delivered back to the family's home by phone, fax, or mail, typically in discreet packaging for the most privacy.
In addition to the comfort and discretion they provide you, in-home tests are frequently less expensive than
chain of custody
tests. Many companies even send free collection kits for in-home tests.
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