The objective of paternity tests is to establish a genetic connection between a specific man and a specific child, or group of children. But, there is a difference between a genetic father and a legal father, because it is possible to man to lose his parental rights to another even if the child has half of his genes. It sounds like a cruel kick to a man’s pride, but there are very good reasons for such arrangements.
Science and Law Don’t Always Agree
Taking an example from Illinois State Law, if a child is born out of wedlock the father of the child is known as the alleged father. This is different from the legal father, who has the power to place his name on the child’s birth certificate. In the case of the above law, if a second man marries the woman, and successfully adopts the child, he becomes the legal father regardless of the status of the alleged father.
This isn’t to say that biological connections are no longer important in establishing parentage of that science should bow to the circumstances of law. In fact, it’s the law that often refers to the knowledge of science in resolving disputes, it’s just that the legality of an issue has more to consider than the accuracy of quantifiable variables.
The Chain of Custody
Fortunately, those considerations are included in a strict chain-of-custody protocol that laboratories and clinics testing for potentially court admissible evidence need to adhere to. This chain of custody isn’t a process or set of rules per se, but the chronological documentation showing the seizure, control, transfer, testing, and analysis of the physical and digital evidence.
Following this trail will make it easier for both groups of lawyers to analyze the processes involved in the testing, as well as find any reason to believe if tampering or an error in analysis occurred. Scientific tests are the surest ways to reach the truth of the matter, but the story doesn’t end with the final result as far as a lawyer is concerned.
The complex relationship between law and science isn’t always easy to understand, but their partnership is an essential part of maintaining societal stability. If your objective is to get to the objective data provided by the side of science, then contact us today for more information on our set of reliable tests and products.