When an Ohio mother needs to determine the paternity of her child, the judge might order a man to take a paternity test. In most cases, the biological father has to take on child support, visitation and other responsibilities. However, paternity tests aren’t infallible, and if one party doesn’t agree with the results, they might challenge the test in court.
How do you challenge a paternity test?
During a divorce trial, the mother might challenge the results of a paternity test if she suspects that the man isn’t her child’s biological father. Likewise, the father might challenge the results of the rest if he suggests that his former spouse cheated on him during their marriage. Either way, they’ll need to have grounds for challenging the test before a judge will let them proceed.
One party might challenge the test if they suspect that someone tampered with the test or altered the results. If the mother wants to force the man to pay child support or the man doesn’t want to be involved in the child’s life, they might tamper with the test to get the results that they desire. Their divorce attorney might encourage their client to challenge the test to erase any possible suspicions.
In some cases, the lab might have simply made a mistake when they administered the test. They might have gotten the results mixed up with someone else’s or damaged the material in some way. If the man finds out that he’s infertile, he has even more reason to suspect that the test results are illegitimate. On the other hand, he might have convinced a friend to take the test for him so he doesn’t have to accept legal responsibility of the child.
Do you have reason to suspect the paternity test results?
While paternity tests are generally accurate, it’s not impossible that someone could have interfered with the results. You might want to talk to your attorney about challenging the test in court. Even if the results turn out to be accurate, at least you’ll erase any suspicions from your mind.
