For parents who live in the state of Colorado, DNA testing may be required to determine paternity in a child support case. This can determine paternity for many families, particularly in cases in which the alleged father feels that the mother was not faithful or was with another person during conception. DNA tests can also be used to determine relationships for immigration status. For these cases, parents may wonder, how accurate are the results?
Exclusive paternity testing
Exclusive paternity testing is done to exclude a male as the father of a child. In these cases, the male in question does not feel that he is the father of a child and wants to receive results that he is not the father. These are most often used in child support cases. In these cases, results should be 100% accurate in determining that the male is not the father of a child as long as the DNA does not match.
Inclusive paternity testing
Inclusive paternity testing is done when the male in question is definitively the father of a child. These can be used in cases for child support, custody, or in immigration tests. These tests are not 100% accurate. However, they can come as close as possible to that amount. Results can be as close as 99.99% definitive that the male in question is the father. This accuracy is enough to suffice any courts in a custody, child support, or immigration court. However, it is important that you know that the testing accuracy will depend on the lab you use.
Choosing the right lab
DNA testing can be performed in two ways, in a laboratory setting or at home. At home DNA testing is done by ordering the supplies, mailing the sample to the lab, and waiting for the results. For in lab testing, an appointment is scheduled and you go to the facility to have the test done. The accuracy of the test is determined by the number of loci the laboratory checks. This is the testing of DNA segments. The higher the number of loci tested, the more accurate the results will be.