Paternity testing has become the de facto method of determining fatherhood, especially in disputed cases that end up in court. But not all cases need to go to court. Here are three cutting-edge paternity technologies that show great promise for the future.

1. At-Home Tests — Remember when you had to go to the doctor to find out if you were pregnant? Today, at-home pregnancy tests are the norm. By the same token, at-home paternity tests are becoming more commonplace. However, they are not yet admissible in court. The benefit to testing paternity in the privacy of your home is to gain some piece of mind about who the father of your child might be. If the father is willing after you’ve conducted the test, you can seek a voluntary Recognition of Parentage.

2. Non-invasive prenatal paternity testing — Current prenatal paternity tests, such as CVS or amniocentesis, are invasive, and they contain some risk to unborn child. A new technique in prenatal testing involves searching for fetal cell DNA in a sampling of the mother’s blood. The test is relatively inexpensive, but it can be conducted as early as the fifth week of pregnancy. Mothers no longer have to wait until the child is born to know who the father is, and the good news is, these tests are admissible in court.

3. Reverse paternity testing — If an alleged father is not available, it’s possible to rule him out as father of your child using reverse paternity testing. A sampling of DNA is taken from the alleged father’s siblings, other children, parents, and perhaps other relatives. By comparing these DNA samples with those of your child, it’s possible to determine the viability of the alleged father as the true father of your child.

These paternity technologies are relatively new, so proceed cautiously. For more information about paternity testing and your legal rights, contact a Minnesota family law attorney today. Call (763) 783-5146.