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| Chain of Custody
In legal terms, the chain of custody refers to the proper handling of a piece of evidence by persons investigating the case, ensuring the security of samples, data, and records. A well-documented chain of custody is important in a DNA paternity test if the results are to be used in a court of law or in other government offices. It ensures and provides proof that the DNA samples tested in the lab correspond to the actual persons involved in the paternity case—the child, the alleged father, and other tested parties.
An in-home paternity test, although performed with the same care and strict laboratory procedures as a legal paternity test, does not follow a chain of custody because the samples are collected by the tested parties themselves, and there is no way for DNA Dimensions to directly determine and document who the DNA samples belong to.
Samples for paternity tests requiring a chain of custody are collected by a neutral third party, such as a health practitioner or local laboratory. The sample collector sends the samples directly to our laboratory, which continues the chain of custody process by performing the appropriate procedures for keeping records throughout testing.
When you arrive at your appointment, the sample collector will ask for the following before taking the samples:
- Government-issued identification
- One of the following for minors: birth certificate, social security card, crib card, or shot record
You will also be asked to complete a Client Identification and Consent Form (the minor’s consent form should be signed by the legal guardian) and be photographed and fingerprinted. These procedures back up the validity of your test results in a legal forum. |
