12 reasons for DNA paternity testing

12. Loss of driver’s licenses

A DNA test for paternity could be quite useful in keeping or preventing the loss of a driver’s license in the United States. As a child support enforcement tool to collect unpaid money from men and women ordered to pay child support, many states can suspend a driver’s license. If a driver’s license is needed to commute or as a job requirement — making on-time child support payments should be a top priority. Sometimes, a court hearing is not required to confirm actual arrears nor actual paternity before license suspension goes into effect.

Imagine hearing, “That’s too bad about the layoff last month and now you can’t drive to work nor drive for work. No problem, we’ll release the driver’s license when the outstanding balance is paid in full. Next person in line … “. Since your driving privilege is on the line, taking that legal DNA paternity test before signing your name is not such a bad idea.

11. Loss of professional and business licenses

Years of hard work, education and investments could be affected by the loss of a professional and business license. It does not matter if you are an attorney, doctor, dentist, accountant or business owner in the United States. If a professional or business license is needed to produce income then making on-time support payments should be a top priority to avoid the life altering impact of another child support enforcement tool.

The idea of taking the means to generate income while still demanding payment does seem a bit strange. Taking a DNA test to confirm paternity could be a career saver for some people.

10. Loss of your home and real estate

Perhaps you have realized that paternity testing can determine if “he is the father” or “he is not the father”. A divorce can be a painfully and devastating experience for men and women. When considering whether to get a paternity test or not – did you know that your home and real estate can be seized and sold to pay child support and/or alimony?

Let’s see, the choices are take the DNA paternity test, asap or risk losing your home and real estate. Hmmm …

9. Arrest and incarceration

Failure to pay court ordered child support puts your freedom at-risk when appearing in “pay or go to jail family court” in the United States. Also applies to countries that have adopted the practices of US Child Support Enforcement agencies. Many states have laws concerning child abandonment and delinquency of support plus contempt of court for failure to pay. Sometimes the accused man gets an opportunity to have a court ordered legal DNA paternity test if he pays for testing and sample collections. The result of court ordered testing may show paternity is zero percent and “he is not the father,” it could address the criminal abandonment charge and leave the paternity order in effect until overturned by a subsequent order. Choose one – jail or DNA Test. We recommend the legal DNA test for peace of mind then making support payments based on the truth.

8. Seizure of paycheck

Refusal to pay child support can lead to garnishment or seizure of your paycheck. This begs the question “what happens if the man learns he is not the father”? Generally, the truth about paternity is irrelevant in some states as long as a child support order is in place. Sometimes the man has agreed to paternity and signed a confession before obtaining a DNA test and later discovers paternity is zero percent. The man is apt to be shocked even more upon learning that his wages will continue to be garnished until there is a signed order to vacate or overturn. So, how does he afford legal representation while losing his paycheck? Suggestion: No DNA test, No paycheck.

7. Seizure of savings, checking and investment accounts

Since the paycheck can be seized as a child enforcement action in the United States, why stop there? Some men without paternity test results will be shocked to learn that financial institutions report the balances of your savings, checkings and investment accounts to state child support enforcement agencies. This reporting of your financial information is done without your knowledge or consent. Furthermore, there’s no notice to the account holder nor is consent required as part of the DataMatch Program. If there are arrears (verified or unverified), the balances from saving, checking and investment accounts can be seized without a court order to satisfy the balance. What if you discovered that you are not the father … years after signing a confession of paternity and refused to pay? “Take the money first, ask questions, second”. A word of caution for the wives and girlfriends (joint account holders) of men that believe they’re fathers of kids from ex-wife of ex-girlfriend.

6. Reporting to credit bureaus

Any child support arrears can be reported to the Credit Bureaus. This can lead to negative credit ratings that affect employment, insurance, credit, refinancing and obtaining loans. If DNA testing reveals that you are the father, never get behind on child support payments. Forget about borrowing money to settle the arrears after your score dips to 600. Boy, oh boy, taking that DNA paternity test versus losing your 795 Fico score is sounding like a good idea.

5. Seizure of state and federal tax refunds

What if you are not the father? Taking the paternity test is confirming the facts versus feelings. If you are the biological father or adopted father — no problem with seizing tax refunds to pay past due child support. A legal DNA paternity test for paternity could be quite useful in keeping your state and federal tax refunds. Another child support enforcement tool is to seize state and federal tax refunds from men and women ordered to pay child support for arrears. There goes the money!

4. Seizure of lottery winnings

Refusal or inability to pay the full ordered child support can lead to seizure of your lottery winnings. If you win enough money, you may see the child support and alimony increased due to material change in circumstances. The state lottery agencies share information about lottery winners with state child support agencies to collect arrears. If the man learns through DNA testing that he is not the father? Generally, the truth about paternity is irrelevant.

The lottery money is subject to seizure as long as a child support order is in place. If the winnings are substantial and there is an existing order, the child support agency may proceed with an action to increase the child support order.

3. Seizure of unemployment compensation

A DNA test for paternity could be useful in keeping or preventing the loss of unemployment compensation. As a child support enforcement tool to collect unpaid money from men and women ordered to pay child support, many states can seize unemployment benefits. Imagine being told, “That’s too bad about the layoff last month and you need the unemployment money to survive and look for work. No problem, we’ll release the order when the child support balance is paid in full. Next person in line … “. Taking that legal DNA paternity test before signing your name is sounding better and better.

1. No fault divorce

There can be no rational argument for equal rights and equal responsibilities when there is different treatment in court for adultery. If a DNA test reveals that a married man committed adultery because he is the father of his girlfriend’s child(ren) — he cannot say “my marriage license shields me from personal responsibility and child support to my girlfriend”. The adulterous wife can file for divorce on the fault grounds of adultery and pursue marital home, alimony, child support (if any adopted or biological kids).

The courts in some states like California, Texas, New York, Michigan and North Carolina treat the wife’s adultery differently by ducking the truth behind best interest of the child.

Essentially this means the wife is not responsible for her adultery when DNA paternity testing reveals that some or none of the children are her husband’s children. The adulterous wife can say judge “you cannot make my boyfriend pay child support, that is my husband’s job”.

In fact, many states support paternity fraud through imposing secret time limits and various legal procedures. For example California and Delaware have an unpublished two year time limit of challenging marital paternity from birth. If the secret can be hidden from the husband for 2 years and a day then file for “No Fault Divorce”, dump the husband, keep the family home, keeps his cash by alimony and child support then move the children’s father into the home. Try and imagine losing your home in a “No Fault Divorce” after DNA testing reveals those are her boyfriend’s kids, she is not going to let you see those kids and she is marrying the boyfriend to move him into your house.

Moral of the story: Confirm paternity at birth, before the second birthday and before final divorce hearing.

As you can see from the list above, agreeing to paternity without legal DNA proof can be a risky situation. Fortunately, DNA paternity testing can assist people in the quest for truth by answering the question of “who is the father?” before agreeing or signing any kind of documents admitting to paternity of a child. The advances of technology in DNA testing can narrow the list of biological fathers to one man, except in situations where the alleged fathers or paternity candidates are identical twins.

Copyright (c) 2009, Carnell Smith www.PaternityFraud.com