You have a child with your ex, but it’s become complicated. You need your ex to pay child support to help with the cost of raising a child, but they claim that the child isn’t actually theirs. They say that someone else is the father and so they’re not going to give you any of those monthly payments.
This is problematic on numerous levels. For one thing, you simply know that this is their child and you wish they would step up and be more responsible. But you also need to ensure that you get that child support just so that you can provide food, clothing, education, healthcare and many of the other things that are so necessary. You decide to get a paternity test, but you wonder if it’s going to be accurate enough to prove who is the father.
The development of DNA tests
Older efforts to prove paternity were not accurate enough for people to feel comfortable with them at all times, but DNA testing has changed that. It is often referred to as being almost 100% accurate, with some stating that it is about 99.9% accurate.
In other words, if the DNA test is performed, you are going to know for sure if your ex is the father of that child. These tests can then be used in court as evidence to show that a child support order is needed. Your ex may not want to cooperate with you and make those payments, but it is illegal for them to violate a court order, so getting one of those on file can be very helpful for your situation. And that may start with a paternity test.
If you find yourself in this type of complicated situation, it’s very important to understand all of the potential legal steps you can take.