What Happens At the Paternity Testing Appointment?

During the paternity testing appointment, all paperwork will be
completed and signed before the physical testing is started. There could
be a large amount of paperwork, so calling the DNA paternity testing
office before the visit is a good idea. There could also be consent forms that need to be signed by all people involved in the paternity testing.

After the payment is taken, the paternity test will begin. Depending on the type of paternity test being given, there could be different methods of cell harvesting. For cheek swabs, which are the most common and the least expensive, three swabs are taken from the inner cheek of the mother, father and infant (called the trio).

These swabs are placed in sterile bags to await DNA extraction. After all parties have finished the swabbing they are free to leave. If there is payment due on the account, most DNA paternity testing facilities will require payment in full before the results of the paternity test is released.

The earliest the test can be completed is 3 days in most cases. Court ordered paternity test results may only be sent to the court. In order to receive a copy of the paternity test, those involved will have to be in contact with the court systems. While the paternity test results taken as little as three days, the paperwork involved in the court system may stretch out the announcement of the results to 6 months or more.