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View Full Version : What is your country's attitude to "unofficial" paternity tests?


Barry Pearson
June 23rd 03, 12:08 PM
This isn't directly about child support, but some posters here clearly take
the trouble to stay aware of laws & trends on issues like this. There are many
paternity testing services in the world offering "peace of mind" or
"motherless" home testing kits. Men (etc) in the UK have a large choice of
which services to use, because many of these services are promoted on the
Internet, and are available outside the country in which they are based. Some
are based in the UK itself, but most are based in the US.

They get (unwarranted) bad press in the UK, and there is constant pressure
from some key people to have them banned, or to have use of them banned. Their
intention is to restrict paternity tests to those where the mother gives
consent and/or a court orders the test. I wonder whether this attitude is
common elsewhere. So:

1: Are there countries where such "unofficial" testing services are banned? Or
where use of them is banned?

(I believe the services themselves are banned in France, as a long-term
consequence of the Napoleonic Code).

2: Are there countries where key people appear intent on banning such
services, or the use of them?

(I have read statements by politicians in Australia that are similar to those
in the UK. I don't know if this is representative or an anomaly).

I would like to see references where possible. Thank you.

--
Barry Pearson
http://www.Barry.Pearson.name/photography/
http://www.ChildSupportAnalysis.co.uk/

frazil
June 24th 03, 03:30 AM
Barry Pearson > wrote in message
...
> This isn't directly about child support, but some posters here clearly
take
> the trouble to stay aware of laws & trends on issues like this. There are
many
> paternity testing services in the world offering "peace of mind" or
> "motherless" home testing kits. Men (etc) in the UK have a large choice of
> which services to use, because many of these services are promoted on the
> Internet, and are available outside the country in which they are based.
Some
> are based in the UK itself, but most are based in the US.
>
> They get (unwarranted) bad press in the UK, and there is constant pressure
> from some key people to have them banned, or to have use of them banned.
Their
> intention is to restrict paternity tests to those where the mother gives
> consent and/or a court orders the test. I wonder whether this attitude is
> common elsewhere. So:
>
> 1: Are there countries where such "unofficial" testing services are
banned? Or
> where use of them is banned?'

Not that I know of. In the U.S it is probably not possible to outlaw such a
service, because of the other useful purposes for having DNA testing. (In
the U.S. DNA testing is a perfectly ligitimate business)

>
> (I believe the services themselves are banned in France, as a long-term
> consequence of the Napoleonic Code).
>
> 2: Are there countries where key people appear intent on banning such
> services, or the use of them?

I have not heard of such an intent in the U.S. However, many
interest/advocacy groups are intent, and have sucessfully banned such
services for certain purposes, such as CS situations or in making employment
decisions (I'm sure there are other reasons). Many jurisdictions in the U.S
disallow the results of such DNA testing if it occurs beyond a set time
period. However, this is changing. Some states have very strict time
frames in which one can challenge paternity, 30 days after the birth of the
child for example. Other states are more liberal and set the time frame
based on when the father has reason to suspect his paternity. I believe
that Maryland and Ohio have the most liberal time frames. As I recall in
those states one can challenge paternity at anytime, and be relieved of
their CS obligation if the results show that they aren't the father.

>
> (I have read statements by politicians in Australia that are similar to
those
> in the UK. I don't know if this is representative or an anomaly).

The subject is very contencious in the U.S and is hardly representitive of
the whole U.S. In this country such laws are governed at the state level,
and we have 50 states!

>
> I would like to see references where possible. Thank you.

I'll see what I can find. Some state codes are available on the net. I'd
start with Ohio and Maryland..


> --
> Barry Pearson
> http://www.Barry.Pearson.name/photography/
> http://www.ChildSupportAnalysis.co.uk/
>
>