What You Need To Know About Paternity Tests in Maryland

Thank you for joining me today. My name is LaSheena Williams and I am a Maryland family law attorney. My firm helps our clients take control of out-of-control domestic situations. Today, we will be discussing the basics of Paternity testing. 

What Is A Paternity Test?

Paternity testing is genetic testing to prove that your partner or former partner is the biological father of your child. 

Types of Paternity Tests in Montgomery County, Maryland and Prince George’s County, Maryland 

There are several different types of paternity tests that you should consider. You can complete paternity testing at home with a male kit or even in a facility. These kits may require saliva samples, hair samples, or even blood samples. These samples can be used during testing to determine if you or your partner is the biological parent for your children.

What Is A Non-Legal Paternity Test?

Non-legal paternity testing is completing a paternity test without the consent of the other parent. That might be an in-home test kit or it might be you mail off a test to a facility or you provide samples to a facility and you had the test conducted. The issue with non-legal testing is that it’s not illegal but it also can’t be used to prove paternity in court. It’s done purely for informational purposes but it may help facilitate you getting a more official test kit to be used at your trial.

If You Are Not Sure About Paternity, Request A Test

If you are unsure if you are the father of a child, it is very important that you speak with an attorney before signing any paperwork. You may be presented with a birth certificate or an affidavit of parentage and there are legal implications to signing either of those documents. It is important to understand what those implications mean and how those implications can impact what you do moving forward. You may have certain rights and responsibilities as a result of you signing the paperwork that you may not have if you waited and completed the paternity testing first. 

Contact An Experienced Maryland Family Law Attorney Today For Your Paternity Case In Montgomery County and Prince George’s County, Maryland

If you have any further questions about paternity testing or any other domestic related matter please feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel for future updates. Please also feel free to contact us at (301) 778-9950 to consider your options.