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Can An At-Home DNA Test Be Legally Binding?
Having a legally binding, or court admissible DNA test done can be an expensive process. Choosing an at-home, or self collected test can bothn save you money and speed up the process. An at home DNA test can be legally binding as long as the proper chain of custody is followed, mainly that the DNA collection is witnessed by a third party non-interested bystander. A professional collection simply means that you are paying someone to act as that witness for you, so if your situation is one where everyone gets along, and can agree on a neutral person to serve in the witness capacity, you may want to explore the option of the at home test.
There are many benefits to having a legally binding DNA test done rather than a test that is solely for personal information. Any DNA test, such as a Paternity Test, Maternity Test, Sibship or Grandparent DNA Test can be performed as a court admissible test.
The decision to have a legally binding test performed is one that should be made at the beginning of the process. Paternity-USA is one of the few companies that offer a more affordable alternative to a professionally collected legal DNA test.
To obtain a legally binding result, the DNA collection must have been done with a chain of custody. This is meant to preserve the objectivity of the result. The chain of custody begins at the time the order for your DNA test is processed. According to guidelines set for accredited laboratories, the most crucial step in maintaining the chain of custody is that the DNA collection is witnessed by a third-party with nothing to gain or lose from the outcome of the test. This can refer to a financial gain or loss, or a relationship to gain or lose.
Most people automatically turn to a professionally collected DNA test, however the same legally binding document can be obtained by choosing your own third-party, non-interested witness. This witness can essentially be anyone who is not a relative, involved in a relationship with anyone in the family, or married into the family, or have a financial gain or loss relating to the results of the test.
The process begins with sending the test kit directly to the witness. This witness is to stay in control of the test and samples throughout the process. The test and samples should not ever be left in the control of any test participant. The witness will gather everyone together, and the sealed test should then be opened, administered and re-sealed in front of all participants. The witness will remain in control of the samples until they are mailed to the AABB accredited lab that is to process them.
A major benefit of choosing an At-Home Legal DNA test over a professionally collected test is that you do not have to work within the business hours of a collector or collection facility. May times, it is difficult to take time off of work and take children out of school for the testing procedure.
Another significant benefit is that you do not have to pay the collector. Collection fees can range from $50-$100 per person.
If your situation is one where everyone can agree upon choosing your own third-party witness, a true savings can be realized by exploring this collection option for your court admissible DNA test.
