Paternity Testing in Dutton Park

The Ordering Process – Simple

These days we can do so many things from the comfort of our home, so why not a DNA test as well? Total DNA Services has streamlined the process so it’s as easy as;

• Order – Choose your test and order it online
• Pay – Pay for your test and any extras you require
• Receive – You will get your home sample collection kit in the mail. This kit contains everything required to undertake the test at home. This can include instructions for use, oral swabs, consent forms and a return envelope.
• Results – Receive your results in a quick timeframe.

Sometimes, the person who needs a test lives in a different location to their child, which makes the whole testing process seem problematic. Total DNA Services can help here too. Simply provide the address of the other test participant whether it’s in Australia or around the world, and they will receive a home sample collection kit to complete.

It really is that easy.

Timely

Your time is precious, and you want, and sometimes need, your results quickly. The turnaround time from us receiving your sample to providing your results back to you is within 5-7 working days.
There is an option to purchase our express service, but this is only available for mouth swab samples. Discreet samples (where hair, blood, semen, cigarette butts are tested via DNA extraction) are not open to the express service.
If you really want your results in a hurry, using registered post or a courier service is the best option.

Accurate Results

Total DNA Services understands that you don’t want any grey areas when it comes to your test results. The results from your Home Paternity Test will indicate one of two outcomes;

• Positive: the tested male is the biological father of the child tested. Results will indicate a probability of 99.9% of paternity or higher. This will also apply if more than one child is tested.
• Negative: the tested male is not the biological father of the child tested. Results will indicate a probability of 0% paternity. This will also apply if more than one child is tested.

Accredited

All samples that we receive are tested to the highest of standards, and we only use laboratories which are accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA).
Our laboratories are all NATA ISO 17025 accredited, a standard which can only be awarded by an authorised accreditation body.
In simple terms, our laboratories meet all of the requirements to produce the highly accurate results that we pride ourselves upon.

Want to know more?

Forensic Samples

By far best way to collect DNA samples is by an oral swab, but sometimes that’s not convenient or possible. Total DNA Services can analyse a wide range of samples, including blood and blood stains, toothbrushes and hair from hairbrushes. A comprehensive list or testable items can be found on the Forensic Testing Page.
Total DNA Services cannot guarantee that results from this method of testing will be returned within the standard testing time of 5-7 days. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Home and Legal Paternity tests: Is there a difference?
Not all paternity tests are created equal, even though their results are highly accurate.
As the name suggests, a legal paternity test is used for court proceedings. The results of a legal paternity test are admissible in court, and are generally used to verify paternity in custody and child support cases. Legal paternity tests can also be used for immigration purposes.
Legal paternity tests are collected through a Chain of Custody arrangement.
Put simply, this means that an independent third party acts as a witness to the sampling, and this third party is usually responsible for handling the DNA sample after collection. 
This process ensures that the DNA sample isn’t subject to tampering.

A home paternity does not carry the same legal weight as a legal paternity test, and is used to provide peace of mind to parents. 

I have ordered a Home Paternity Test. Can I upgrade to a Legal test?
Put simply, no. If you ordered a home paternity test, by all means, use it, but it will not be accepted by a court for legal proceedings.

Why test the mother in a paternity test? This seems odd to me.
We understand that accurate results are highly important to you. This is why we sometimes obtain a sample from the mother in the Home Paternity Test (and other DNA tests).
The Home Paternity Test compares 20 genetic markers between the child and the alleged father, and if paternity is proven, all 20 genetic markers will match. Occasionally, the test will provide an inconclusive result, often caused by a mutation on one of the loci (the position of a genetic marker on a chromosome), in which case testing the mother becomes beneficial.

Testing the mother in a paternity case is also undertaken when ascertaining if siblings are full genetic relations. Sampling the mother effectively eliminates part of the genetic data compared between the siblings. When the father is then tested against the siblings, the results are of a higher accuracy than if tested alone.

Samples from the mother can be included in your Home Paternity Test return test kit at no additional cost.