Best Type of DNA Test to Get Child Support
If you’re trying to get child support from your baby’s biological father, the most important first step may be to prove who the father is. The court is not likely to order a man to pay child support unless it’s been legally proven that he is the biological father. Many people don’t realize that there are actually two different types of DNA tests: one you can use in court, and one you can’t. Choosing the right one matters. If you pick the wrong test for your situation, you’ll waste time and money. To ensure you have the right test, you need to learn the best paternity tests in Jackson, MS to use for results in a child support case.
Why DNA Testing Matters for Child Support
Child support is ordered by a judge. Before a judge makes that order, the court needs to be absolutely sure about who the child’s legal father is. If the father’s name is already on the birth certificate and no one is questioning it, you might not need a test. However, if any of the following is true, you may need to order one:
- The father denies that the child is his.
- His name isn’t on the birth certificate.
- He refuses to help financially.
- You were involved with more than one person around the time you became pregnant.
- You were not married to the father when the baby was born.
In these cases, the court is more likely to require a DNA paternity test to verify the baby’s biological father.
The Two Types of DNA Tests
There are two main types of paternity tests: non-legal DNA tests and legal DNA tests. While both of them will provide results telling you whether or not the baby and the suspected father have a DNA match, only one of them will hold up in court.
Non-legal tests are the cheaper option. You can have them done by a drug screening business like Mobile Drug Screening, or you can collect the DNA samples yourself. The inside of your child’s cheek is swabbed and the cheek of the suspected father, then those samples are sent to a lab. A few days later, you get your results. These tests are usually accurate, but there is one giant problem. They can’t be used in court.
They can’t be used in court because they are non-legal. There is no proof of who actually gave the sample, if the samples were switched, or if someone else helped alter the results. The court needs clear proof that the samples were collected correctly, and non-legal tests don’t follow the legal requirements to prove that. So, even if a non-legal test’s result says 99.9% probability of fatherhood, the judge will likely not accept it.
Instead, you’ll need a legal DNA test if you want to be able to use the results to get child support. A legal DNA test follows strict rules regarding the chain of custody. This means that everyone involved must show a photo ID to verify their identity, that samples are collected by lab professionals, and that they are tracked carefully to ensure they’re never tampered with. This is done at a certified lab, and you receive the results along with signed paperwork that testifies all legal requirements were followed to protect the sample.
This creates a legal record and lets the court know the results are real and reliable. Because these more rigorous steps need to be followed, a legal DNA test will cost more than an non-legal test, but it’s the best option if you want to use the results in court.
Why the Legal Test Is the Best Choice
If your goal is to collect child support, the legal DNA test is the best choice for paternity testing. Here’s why you should choose this type of test from the very beginning:
- It Holds Up in Court: This is the biggest reason to choose legal tests. They can be used in family court, child support hearings, custody cases, and in future legal disputes you might not have even thought about yet. Once it’s done properly, you won’t have to redo it later.
- It Saves Time: If you start with a non-legal test and then go to a court, the judge will likely order a new test anyway. This means more waiting, more appointments, and more delays in your child support payments. Starting with the legal test avoids these problems.
- It Protects You in the Future: You might think a non-legal test meets your needs now. For example, perhaps you’re confident the child’s father will willingly pay child support after seeing the results of an non-legal test, and you won’t need to go to court at all. However, there’s always a chance the father will deny paternity later, stop paying support, or challenge custody arrangements. A court-approved DNA test protects you in the long term because you already have proof of fatherhood on record.
Legal Test Pricing
A legal test will always cost more than a non-legal test. While an non-legal test can cost around $140, a legal test can cost up to $200, depending on the lab and number of children. But, if you’re hoping to get child support for 18 years, that will likely be tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Paying more now for a legal test is a smart investment. It can quickly help secure monthly child support payments, health insurance coverage, and even back child support payments in some cases. That small upfront cost can make a huge difference.
Schedule a Legal DNA Test Now
If you live in the Brandon area and need proof of a father, the sooner you schedule a legal paternity test in Brandon, MS, the sooner you can begin receiving child support payments from your baby’s biological father. Contact Mobile Drug Screen today to learn more about our non-legal and legal DNA testing at our certified lab and schedule your DNA paternity test today.