| How accurate are the DNA paternity test results?DNACANADA paternity tests are the most reliable results available and are extremely accurate. When samples are collected by a third party, the results can be used in court for divorce, child support, inheritance or even criminal cases (forensics). Typically, test results probabilities are greater than 99.99%.
How old must the child be?There are no age restrictions for DNA test participants. When collection is performed by an adult as directed, the cheek swabs are even safe for infants. Must the biological mother be part of the test?It is not required, but testing the biological mother of the child always strengthens the paternity test result and increases the likelihood of obtaining a conclusive result.Therefore, DNACANADA strongly recommends testing the biological mother.
What if the alleged father is not available?Very often, paternity can still be determined by testing other relatives of the alleged father, like the alleged father's parents. Testing can also be done for a brother or sister of the child or a brother or sister of the alleged father. How will I receive my results?Your results will be sent to you by email in adobe format. A hard copy of your DNA paternity test results will also be sent to you by mail. If you wish to have the results over the telephone you will require a password.
When do I pay for the paternity test?You will need to pay for the paternity tests when you send us your samples. Payment can be through paypal or a money order. In the case of tests for legal purposes there is a need for a deposit of $200.00 before the samples are collected by the sample collection facility. Are blood samples more accurate than cheek cells?No. DNA testing with cheek cells gets the same, accurate results as testing with blood samples, skin tissue, hair samples, etc. The DNA is the same, whether it is extracted from cheek, blood, or other cell. Do I have to use all three swabs for each person?Yes. By providing three (3) swabs for each person to the laboratory, we reduce the chance of needing a new collection. Each paternity test participant should use all three (3) swabs and place the swabs in the specimen envelope provided, noting the person’s name, date of birth, race description, and their relationship to the other participants. Each envelope needs a consent signature that matches the name provided for each of the paternity test participants, and/or a legal guardian consent signature for anyone under age 18.
DNA is uniquely different for each person and some DNA is harder to extract than others. Generally, sending three (3) swabs gives us enough DNA to work with for any person in order to complete a DNA analysis. What if the father and mother are in a different province?For home paternity tests, you have several options:
1. You can send the kit, with your collected samples to the person who lives in another province then they can collect their samples and send them all to DNA Canada.
2. DNA Canada can split up the kit, mail you your portion and you would provide the address of the other participant(s) in order that we can mail the other half to the different address. We would provide a self addressed envelope for both participants and have all the samples mailed directly to DNA Canada.
If you prefer to send the samples in separately, please call us at 866-362-3629 in order that we may take down the appropriate information to ensure that the samples match before they are sent to the lab.
A paternity test for legal purposes, such as child support, requires a collection by a professional, DNA Canada uses the Victorian Order of Nurses to do all our collections for the legal tests. Contact us at 866-362-3629 and arrange the collection appointments for each person in the test. Can I use Q-tips instead of the swabs?No. The swabs provided in the DNA Paternity Test kit are made out of synthetic materials designed specifically to collect cheek cells. What if two alleged fathers are related?In cases where two or more alleged fathers are related to each other, definitive results are still possible.
For the most conclusive results, test both alleged fathers. The biological mother should be included as well.
If both fathers cannot be tested, be sure you let our lab know that there is a second, related alleged father who is not being tested.
However if the two alleged fathers are identical twins their DNA profiles may be identical and there would be no way to distinguish between the two.
For more details, or for specific help with your paternity testing case, please contact DNA Canada at 866-362-3629.
Do I need court-admissible test results?If you are testing for legal purposes, such as child support, child custody or estate planning you will likely need a court-admissible test.
Whether for legal or personal purposes, the DNA test results are the same. When testing for legal purposes, the Victorian Order of Nurses, a Certified Collector or personal physician or a nurse in your community, must do the DNA Collection for all parties involved and verify the identity of each person before collecting the samples.
How are samples collected (how does this test work)?Samples are collected via cheek swabs. Cheek swabs are convenient and safe for participants of any age, including infants.
Each participant should use three (3) swabs and place the swabs in the specimen envelope provided, noting the person’s name, date of birth, race description, and (if applicable) their relationship to the other participants. Each envelope needs a consent signature that matches the name provided for each of the participants, and/or a legal guardian consent signature for anyone under age 18.
Can the test detect diseases, ancestry or other genetic information?No, the DNA markers (loci) we use for paternity testing are not informative for genetic defects, medical conditions, eye color, hair color, ancestry, etc. They are used solely for paternity testing and relationship testing. Can I do a test before the child is born?No, we do not provide amniotic fluid testing. Amniocentesis (also referred to as amniotic fluid test or AFT), is a medical procedure used in prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities and fetal infections, in which a small amount of amniotic fluid, which contains fetal tissues, is extracted from the amnion or amniotic sac surrounding a developing fetus, and the fetal DNA is examined for genetic abnormalities. In Canada physicians will not extract amniotic fluid to determine paternity. Can I add a second child or second alleged father to a paternity test?Yes.
When ordering online, just select the number of additional people being tested from the ‘Additional Participants’ drop down box. Please note: an additional fee will apply for each additional person being tested. Can someone tamper with the swabs or the results of the Paternity Test?If someone tampers with a swab, it is likely to be discovered in the lab as a contaminated specimen. If DNA samples from two people are mixed, both profiles will be detected. A new collection is required when any contaminated sample is discovered.
To address concerns about the identity of each person in the test, we recommend a DNA paternity test for legal purposes.
Results from a personal DNA paternity test (or ‘Peace of Mind’ paternity test) have the same accuracy and are just as conclusive as a legal paternity test.
Legal DNA paternity tests, under the guidelines of the AABB and ISO, require an independent collector to verify the identification of each paternity test participant and witness the collection of the DNA sample. This type of collection provides proof of identification for each test participant along with your paternity test results and is generally court admissible. How long does DNA testing take?Paternity test results typically take about 10 business days from the time that all samples are received by DNA Canada. Other tests, like grandparent, sibling, or aunt/uncle tests, may take up to 4 weeks.
DNA is uniquely different for each person and some tests may require additional time for analysis or testing. How can I pay for testing?Payment of the lab fee for your DNA paternity test may be made either by credit card (through PayPal) or by bank or postal money order. Personal checks are not accepted.
You can include payment by Bank or Postal Money Order when you return your DNA samples to DNA Canada or if you wish to pay by PayPal with your credit card, please call DNA Canada at 866-362-3629 and you will be sent a PayPal link.
Paypal Link if you wish to join:
Is my information kept private and confidential?Your information is absolutely kept confidential. DNACANADA requires password authentication and other case-specific information before any details can be discussed or released.
A DNA test client can request that results be sent to a third-party, such as an attorney, or spouse, by providing DNA Canada with written authorization to add any new person as a contact for the case or to request an additional hard copy report.
Is my test due date guaranteed?We cannot guarantee a ‘turn around time’ for your results, though most of our tests are completed well within the expected time frame. Because DNA is uniquely different for everyone, some tests may require additional analysis or testing. Can I have results sent to more than one location?DNACANADA will provide a copy of the results to the person who has paid for the personal paternity test. If an extra copy is requested, the two copies will be mailed to the person who has paid for the test and it will be his/her responsibility to mail the second copy to the other participant. Do you offer a DNA test to determine Ancestry?No, unfortunately we no longer offer the Ancestry by DNA test. How do I join PayPal?
On October 3, 2002, PayPal became a wholly owned subsidiary of eBay.
Click sign up at top of the PayPal web site Do you have an office in my area?If you are interested in a Personal Paternity Test, we simply mail you a kit that contains instructions on how to take your own cheek swabs, also included is a self addressed envelope. When you have collected the DNA samples, you simply return them in the self addressed envelope along with your payment in the form of a Bank or Postal Money order made out to DNA Canada.
Upon receipt of your samples, you will receive a receipt for your payment by email and then after approximately 10 business days,we will receive your results by email and we will then forward them to you by email and mail you a hard copy on the same day.
If you require a Legal Test which is for Court purposes, then we would need names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of all parties participating in the test.
We would then contact the Victorian Order of Nurses in your area and ask them to set up an appointment with all parties to have the DNA collected from all parties. For further information on the cost of the legal test, please check our website and click on "Legal Paternity Tests".
Furthermore, if it is a legal test you are interested in, we would need to speak to you by telephone to give you more information regarding the documentation you would require for this type of test.
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