Can an Adult Child Request a Paternity Test from Legal Father

[Cananga]

My question involves paternity law for the State of: PA

Can an adult child request a paternity test from the father that raised the child and is on the birth certificate?

Background: A married couple had multiple children. After the mother died, some information came to light that indicates that the youngest child, who was raised in the home with the older siblings, may not be the biological child of the father.

The father is still alive, and the adult child would like to find out if this man is indeed the biological father.

If the legal father does not agree to the test, can one be court ordered?

Thank you.

[Taxing Matters]

My question involves paternity law for the State of: PA

Can an adult child request a paternity test from the father that raised the child and is on the birth certificate?

You may always ask your supposed father for a paternity test, unless he is simply unwilling to speak with you. What his reaction would be I cannot say. You'd have a better idea of whether he'd have a problem with you asking than I would.

The father is still alive, and the adult child would like to find out if this man is indeed the biological father.

If the legal father does not agree to the test, can one be court ordered?

You cannot get a court to order the test just to satisfy your curiosity. You'd need to have some legal claim to pursue in which the issue of his paternity was relevant. That would be a rather unusual circumstance for an adult child while the putative father is still living.

[BooRennie]

Do a DNA test from one of the companies that offer it and see if you match any of legal Dad's relatives, if that is so important to you.

[Taxing Matters]

Do a DNA test from one of the companies that offer it and see if you match any of legal Dad's relatives, if that is so important to you.

Be careful what firm you pick. A lot of DNA/genealogy firms don't have great privacy policies or controls. You may find your DNA data being shared with law enforcement firms and others that you may not wish to have it if you aren't careful.

[BooRennie]

Be careful what firm you pick. A lot of DNA/genealogy firms don't have great privacy policies or controls. You may find your DNA data being shared with law enforcement firms and others that you may not wish to have it if you aren't careful.

Meh. I think all this paranoia that abounds in modern life is over-hyped by a media that is looking to fill a 24 hour news cycle.

[jk]

Tell this guy that


https://www.vox.com/2018/4/27/172902...-profile-match

and it will get more common.


but it’s more than just that. When using some of these services you are giving up some very private personal data. Would you be willing to provide your id and dna to a company that an insurance company may access and use the results to adjust your personal policy rates? Would you be willing to give your info to the fbi to store and have available for whatever they choose to use it for?

while many people have given their dna to various people (I believe the military takes a dna sample), some of us don’t wish to let others use our dna however they choose to.

[CONNOR99]

You may be able to answer the question by just getting his blood type.

It's easier to obtain and much less invasive.

[Taxing Matters]

Meh. I think all this paranoia that abounds in modern life is over-hyped by a media that is looking to fill a 24 hour news cycle.

Your private information is hard to control once you give it over to others. If you think that companies never abuse the information you give them then you've not been paying attention to what uses companies have made of private information. While there are times that it's worth giving up some info in exchange for some service you want, you should make sure you understand what uses the company says it will make of your data and how the data you do give up might be abused.

[Cananga]

Thank you all for the replies.

This is what I was afraid of. I seriously doubt the question would be well-received, as it would cause a lot of embarrassment. I don’t see any way the father would cooperate. However, there is a health reason for wanting to pursue it. Could the DNA sample be taken without the father’s knowledge, if there was no money attached to the test results? This is more for information/health history purposes at this point, as well as obviously a right to know the truth.

Thank you.

[jk]

Your right to know doesn’t supersede the man’s right to not be subjected to a dna test. In fact, you really don’t have any rights here. Your father is the man listed on your birth certificate. That’s all you have a right to know.

I don’t understand what you mean about what if there is no money attached to the results. The father would have no financial obligation regardless what the results are. As to his estate when he dies: he has no obligation to leave anything to any particular person. Given you Are speaking of a legal child father relationship, if the man doesn’t write a will, you would be entitled to whatever share the laws of intestate succession provide for. Even if he is not the biological father, that wouldn’t change.