How Does Home Paternity Testing Work?
If you have been going through personal turmoil to determine the paternity of your child, getting a home testing kit is often the first step to finding a resolution. With 99.9 percent accuracy, these deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) paternity tests are a convenient yet reliable way to discover if an alleged father is biologically related to a specific child.
But before you decide to purchase such a test, it’s important to learn all the critical information about it. This ensures that you have an exact idea of the process and what it entails. From the paternity test cost to its overall execution, here’s how it all works with a home testing kit. Read more.
How Much Does a Home Paternity Test Cost?
The first thing that you need to know about paternity testing is its cost and essential execution. This allows you to get a reliable test while staying within your budget. If you are undergoing the process for personal satisfaction and don’t mean to submit the results to the court yet, you can take a DNA paternity test at home.
These home testing kits are available at an average price of $25. However, getting the kit is just the start of the process. Since the collected samples need to be sent and processed in a lab, you may need to pay an additional testing fee to the designated lab. This fee often ranges between $150-$200.
How Does the Process Work?
You can get a home DNA paternity testing kit from any reputable pharmacy. Some of these kits are also available online and can be delivered to your doorstep like any other regular item against the initial paternity test cost.
Each paternity test typically contains multiple cheek swabs. These swabs are used to take a DNA sample from the inside of the alleged father and child’s cheek. This process is also called a buccal swab and does not require you to have medical training to take the samples.
Once you have taken the samples, you can put them in labeled sample bags that also come with the kit. Afterward, you can mail these samples to the designated DNA testing lab that’s defined on the box. Specially-trained professionals do the rest of the testing under clinical settings. This ensures that your DNA test results are accurate and performed using the latest procedures.
How Soon Can You Expect Your Results?
Depending upon the online store where you order your paternity test, it can take a couple of days for the kit to reach you. The actual waiting period starts after taking the samples and sending them over to the lab along with your paternity test cost.
Most labs that handle paternity test kits take anywhere from 1-2 weeks to return their results. The information regarding processing time is usually available with the instructions that come with your kit.
Similar to the testing kit itself, the reports are easy to read and don’t require you to be familiar with extensive medical jargon. This ensures that you can receive the paternity test information you need without having to run from one medical professional to the other.
How to Find a Reputable Site to Order Your Test?
When searching for a home testing kit, you not only need to compare the paternity test cost but also have to analyze its reviews. By assessing the company’s reliability and its designated lab’s credibility, you can order your test from a reputable site.
The process to take a home paternity test is fairly easy. However, you need to remember that these results are not admissible in court. If you need the test for matters such as child support or child custody, you need to take a court-ordered in-person test.
As long as you have that distinction clear in your mind, the home paternity test can fulfill your expectations without any issues.