Who pays for paternity testing?

Most insurance companies will not pay for DNA testing since it doesn't fall into the medically necessary category. However, if the paternity testing is being used in order to establish paternity for the purpose of adopting a child that is under age 18, and is not a stepchild of the adopting parent, then the cost of DNA paternity testing may be covered within the adoption-related costs that are covered by the $10,000.00 Federal Adoption Expense income tax credit. If a woman is applying for public assistance she is required to try to establish paternity if there is no father listed on the birth certificate.

Mothers must establish paternity as a condition for receiving AFDC payments except in cases of rape and incest and if the state determines that efforts to establish paternity would result in physical danger to the mother. In that instance the state will pay for paternity testing.

However, in most cases it is an out of pocket expense. Most laboratories accept major credit cards, debit cards, money orders, personal and certified checks and of course, cash. Others will provide financing to cover the expense.

You can order tests that can be done in the privacy of your home and sent in to the lab for a relatively low cost but these are usually not admissible in court because of lack of the chain of evidence. In-lab tests can be pricy ranging from hundreds to literally thousands of dollars but these results can be used in court. Results are usually back within 5-7 days.