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A paternity test can be carried out for personal, informational purposes called at home test or peace of mind test or for legal purposes meaning the results are acceptable in a court of law in the UK. But what exactly is the difference and how does each DNA testing kit work?
The DNA Sample collection difference
The key difference between a home DNA test compared to a legal paternity DNA test is the way the samples are collected.
- For a home paternity test DNA worldwide send a DNA collection kit to the participant's home.
- For legal paternity testing a Nurse collects the DNA and checks ID documents to verify identity.
Home DNA Test Kit Process
The home DNA paternity test contains a set for swabs and swab envelope for each person being tested, an order and consent form and a pre-paid return envelope back to the DNA Worldwide UK facility. DNA Worldwide test the DNA samples provided assuming that all the information supplied is correct.
However as no independent witness was present during the collection of the DNA the participants could choose to submit DNA of another person and therefore alter the results. For this reason the home DNA kit is not accepted in a UK court.
UK Legal DNA Testing Process
The Legal DNA Testing for Paternity process is different because DNA Worldwide send the legal DNA kit to a registered Nurse/Doctor who then collects the DNA samples from each participant. During the collection the Nurse checks a valid photo ID (passport, driving licence or similar) for each participant as well as being provided two passport photos. The Nurse then securely sends the samples directly back to DNA Worldwide.
This provides a secure chain-of-custody allowing DNA Worldwide to generate a DNA result report that guarantees to a legal court or solicitor that the DNA is from the individuals listed on the report.
DNA Worldwide have a network of nurses and doctors in the UK and spread across the world to ensure a simple, hassle-free legal paternity test for clients.
Accuracy, Quality and Time Frames are the same
All paternity tests from DNA Worldwide provide the same exceptional level of accuracy (using our unique double testing method) providing up to 99.9999% positive proof of paternity or 0% exclusion of paternity.
The results take 3-5 business days for both the legal and home paternity test.
Still not sure which test?
DNA Worldwide provide expert advice and support to assist clients choosing the most suitable DNA test, if you have any questions simply call 0845 257 1217 or fill in a contact request on this page and one of our team will be in touch during working hours.