080 099 9239Uses of a legal paternity test
Our DNA paternity testing can be used for several reasons, whether for child custody cases, child support cases, immigration applications (go to our DNA Immigration Testing page for more information) or even changing the name on the child’s birth certificate.
Legal DNA testing results can only stand in court if the stringent chain-of-custody procedure has been followed. The chain of custody is simply put, a sample collection procedure that must be follow certain steps. The procedure will ensure the integrity of the results, that no mistakes are made in the sample collection and that the results reflect the true relationship between alleged father and child.
All your test results will be sent by email within 5 to 7 working days from the moment the lab receives samples.
We suggest you return samples by courier directly to the laboratory because the local postal system has proved unreliable and we cannot be responsible for samples that do not reach us.
Here are the steps to follow
Purchasing your test is simple! Your DNA paternity test will only cost R4795 (price excludes any fees charged by the sampler). Once we have processed your order, we will send out a kit from our South Africa office. You will find all you need in our kit, including submission forms, sampling kit and of course our sampling instructions.
DNA samples collection
In such cases it is essential that a third (neutral) party – a doctor (GP), a nurse or any medical professional collects your sample. This person is not only in charge of collecting the samples but acts as witness and makes sure that every step of the chain of custody is followed. The sampler is also in charge of verifying the identity of the parties being tested – any fees owed to the said samplers are to be paid by the test participants. The kit, samples and paper work will all be handled and administered by the sampler. The people taking part in the test need only fix the appointment for the sample collection. EasyDNA will explain every step entailed.
What would I need to take with me?
Preparing to go to your Sampler you would need to take –
- Two passport sized photos – frontal view and no hats
- For each person tested you would need one original ID document to check true identity when sampling. Also include a photocopy of the ID
- (Examples of ID would be – South African ID, passports and other legally recognised forms of Identification)
- In the case of children being tested a certified copy of their Birth Certificate has to be used
- The sampler will already have the sample collection kit as we would have delivered this directly to his or her practice. Once he or she has received our sample collection kit, appointments can be set up.
How are samples collected?
Samples are collected using oral swabs. We provide these inside the kit which will be received by your sampler. Swabs make it possible to collect DNA quickly and painlessly. The sampler will be the person in charge of collecting the swab samples from everybody taking part in the test. If it’s a paternity test, samples will be needed from the alleged father, the mother and the child or children. Swabs need to be rubbed inside the mouth for 1 minute and then left to dry. The Samplers will then close and label each sample making sure that no-one comes into contact with the said samples. They are then sent immediately to the laboratory in the envelopes provided.
The passport photos are used to identify the test participants. The sampler will need to sign these, stating that the people represented in the photographs are the same people who are providing DNA testing samples for the test. Further identification is by means of the identification documents of which you will need to take the original plus two photocopies.
If you would like to see step-by-step instructions about the collection of samples just go to our sample collection guide page
Why not order your legal DNA test today?
Whilst our legal DNA testing results are suited for legal cases and can, in fact, be used for a range of judicial cases we cannot guarantee they will be accepted in the courts of South Africa. The judge ultimately has the final decision and could refute the results of a legal test. This does not mean their integrity or validity is questioned, but rather that other legal issues may have come to impinge on the case (for example, the biological father might be viewed as unfit to father).
