Establishing paternity can be very important. Strictly from an emotional and relational standpoint, you want to know if you’re related to the child. But you may also have questions about your child custody rights or your obligations to pay child support. All of this hinges on whether or not you were actually the child’s father.
There are situations in which this fatherhood can be in doubt. You certainly don’t want to assume anything, especially with such massive financial ramifications on the line. So you may decide to have a paternity test carried out, which can be done during pregnancy or after a child is born. But can you trust the results that you get from the test?
Paternity tests are incredibly accurate
The good news is that modern paternity tests are based on DNA sequencing. While it is true that some older types of tests may not have been as accurate, DNA tests are almost 100% accurate. They can tell you whether or not you are the father, and they’re accurate enough that you can both trust the results and use them in court if necessary.
If it turns out that you are the father, then this test is just the beginning of the process. You may also have a lot of questions about what your rights are to see your child or how much you’re going to have to pay in child support. You may be interested in setting up a co-parenting schedule so that you can be involved in the child’s life. After you have the test done, take the time to begin looking into all of your legal rights.
