Choosing a Reliable Paternity Testing Facility

Choosing a reliable paternity testing facility is as important as choosing the right lifetime partner. Besides the possible "clerical" errors mentioned in the below Raleigh, NC newspaper, some laboratories and collectors do not carry the proper accreditation and therefore the results are less reliable. Non-accredited DNA laboratories have been known to test less genetic systems. The rule of thumb in the DNA testing industry is to beware of tests results that do not provide a probability of paternity equal to or greater than 99%.

Find a private DNA Collections facility in your community, not state funded, so you are confident that their goal is to provide an accurate, reliable and convenient DNA test.  There are no motives for a private DNA testing facility to name you as the father, or not

Besides having the correct accreditations such as AABB, CAP, CLIA, NYSDOH - all important accreditations in quality control measures within the laboratory, once you receive your DNA tests results, you may have questions. When you use a local, private DNA testing facility, you have access to someone who will answer your questions. That individuals will most likely also remember your individual circumstances and may be able to further assist you in interpreting the results of the DNA test. A private, community based DNA testing facility is more likely to respond to your questions as they will also ask you for referrals to others in the same community. Relying on State-funded tests or out of state laboratories, both of whom hire independent collectors is a short sighted savings for such an important issue as Paternity.Many of the private DNA collections facility will work with you on the cost and payment plans.

See the below article from a NC newspaper - do you really want the State to determine if you are the father?

Excerpt from Raleigh, NC News & Observe

RALEIGH, N.C., April 13 (UPI) -- A North Carolina man said a clerical error following a paternity test nearly resulted in his making child support payments for a child that he did not father.

Charles Moody, 44, of Raleigh, said he took the paternity test after an ex-girlfriend claimed he was the father of her child and he became suspicious of her claim because of the time line of the baby's birth, the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer reported Monday.

However, Moody said he was prepared to start child support payments after Wake County Child Support Enforcement sent him a letter reading: "Enclosed is a copy of the paternity test result which shows a probability of 99.99 percent that you are the biological father."

Moody said he eventually double-checked the letter and discovered that the test results, which were stapled to the letter, stated that the "results indicate that Charles Moody is not the biological father."

Moody said he contacted the department and received another letter five days later saying that the case had been dismissed.

"How many people don't bother to look at the test?" he asked. "Can you imagine how many people this has happened to?"

Lillian Overton, Wake County child support director, said the incident was the result of an employee mistakenly pushing a computer key confirming paternity rather than the key that would rule it out.

"Trust me," she said, "that is not a common error."