- Basildon 01268244144
- Chelmsford 01245453800
- Colchester 01206217300
- London 020 4586 1280
Search site
Call our office
Make an enquiry
Our people
Search our people
When I started out in practice, many moons ago, if I saw a client, mother or potential father and clarity was needed over the paternity of an unborn child, there was no real safe option to determine the issue until after the baby had been born.
Historically, the only way to test for paternity during pregnancy was by using a needle to take a sample of amniotic fluid or samples from the placenta. There was a risk of miscarriage by the test being performed so many couples just had to wait. This placed additional pressure on a relationship where perhaps the father cannot/will not bond with the unborn child in case he is not the father, resulting in the relationship breaking down (even if the child was later confirmed as his).
Advances in DNA analysis mean that a safe (non-invasive) test can be taken at just seven weeks of pregnancy to establish the father of a child. This is incredible.
The child’s DNA is in the mother’s bloodstream. She needs to give a blood sample, and a mouth swab is used to collect DNA from the mother and father. These tests are all completed by trained professionals and follow a strict chain of custody. Results are available within a matter of days.
This type of paternity testing gives certainty. If a relationship has broken down or there is a dispute over paternity, the test gives certainty and allows the parents to discuss child maintenance and the arrangements for the father to spend time with the child, after the child is born.
These types of paternity tests are also used by local authorities to prove/disprove paternity where there may be safeguarding concerns if a child is born. By establishing paternity at an early stage, the matter either disappears or early assessments/plans can be put in place.
If you would like more information or have any queries about determining paternity during pregnancy, please contact Francesca Cozens on 01245 453843 or francesca.cozens@birkettlong.co.uk who would be happy to help.
We use essential cookies to make our site work. We'd also like to set analytics cookies that help us make improvements by measuring how you use the site. Clicking Reject All only enables essential cookies. For more detailed information about the cookies we use, see our Cookies page. For further control over which cookies are set, please click here
Our use of cookies.
You can learn more detailed information in our Privacy Policy
Some cookies are essential, whilst others help us improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. The technology to maintain this privacy management relies on cookie identifiers. Removing or resetting your browser cookies will reset these preferences.
Essential Cookies
These cookies enable core website functionality, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.
Google Analytics cookies help us to understand your experience of the website and do not store any personal data. Click here for a full list of Google Analytics cookies used on this site.
Third-Party cookies are set by our partners and help us to improve your experience of the website. Click here for a full list of third-party plugins used on this site.
Comments