Are paternity tests accurate?

On Behalf of | Jun 29, 2022 | Child Custody |

In the past, establishing paternity could sometimes be very difficult. A man may claim that he believed he was the child’s father, but his former partner may claim that it was actually someone else. It could be difficult to determine who got custody time, who was responsible for child support and things of this nature.

But we can now do paternity tests to establish who is or is not a child’s parent. These tests are often used to help establish rights. A woman may want a man to pay child support, for example, and he may try to get out of it by claiming that he doesn’t think he’s the father. A paternity test that shows that he is in fact the father may help the woman seek the support she’s due for raising a child.

So how accurate are these tests? If you have one done, do you have to worry about getting it wrong?

Almost one hundred percent accurate

It’s only fair to say that nothing is one hundred percent accurate, but modern paternity tests are about as close as you can get. Some sources put them at about 99.9% accurate.

It should be noted that these tests do seek to eliminate potential fathers. So the accuracy means that you can be 99.9% sure that you are not the father if that’s what you believe. But the flip side of this also works, in that someone who is the father will not be ruled out, but confirmed.

If you’re in a complicated situation with a potential co-parent, perhaps involving child support and child custody issues, you need to know about all of your legal options. Getting that paternity test may just be the first step.

 

 

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