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Uncertainty surrounding a child’s paternity can cause significant complications in Family Law Court.
In cases involving safeguarding, child maintenance, or guardianship, the absence of clear paternity can delay critical decisions, complicate care planning, and heighten tensions between parties.
Whilst standard paternity DNA tests are now well understood and frequently used in the legal sector, many legal professionals are still not aware that paternity disputes can also be resolved even before the child is born.
Thanks to developments in DNA testing, Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity testing (NIPP) offers a safe, scientifically-robust solution for determining paternity during pregnancy, with no risk whatsoever to the mother or unborn child.
What is NIPP testing and how does it work?
NIPP testing – also known as prenatal DNA testing – allows paternity to be established from as early as 7 weeks into pregnancy, with only a blood sample and cheek (buccal) swabs from the mother required, along with cheek swabs from the possible father(s).
Expert geneticists extract the baby’s DNA profile from foetal DNA found in the mother’s bloodstream and compare this with the DNA profile of the possible father. The biological father will share DNA with the baby at every tested marker. If the tested man is not the biological father, this will not be the case.
Unlike invasive forms of prenatal paternity testing such as chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis, which carry a small risk of miscarriage, NIPP testing is 100% risk free for mother and baby, removing any ethical objections.
Better still, AlphaBiolabs analyses up to 153 genetic markers – the most advanced NIPP test available – reducing the risk of inconclusive or challenged results and protecting case timelines.
When NIPP testing should be considered
Establishing paternity during pregnancy offers clear advantages for family law professionals, social workers and local authorities involved in complex or time-sensitive family law matters.
Where paternity is in doubt, timely resolution can reduce conflict, accelerate proceedings, and ensure the welfare of the unborn child is prioritised.
NIPP testing is particularly beneficial in:
- Safeguarding and care planning, where biological relationships need to be confirmed to assess risk or consider alternative care arrangements before birth.
- Plans can be made to safeguard at-risk babies before they are even born.
- The baby can be moved into the care of a suitable guardian after birth. This significantly reduces the costs associated with keeping the baby in the hospital or in foster care while a decision is made about their ongoing care.
- The number of times the baby must be moved between carers/homes is reduced – which is much better for the baby.
- Disputed paternity cases that may affect decisions on guardianship, child contact or maintenance.
- Cases involving multiple possible fathers, where identifying the correct biological parent is essential for progressing proceedings.
- Mediation and early resolution, helping to clarify facts, reduce hostility, and encourage cooperation between parties.
In each of these scenarios, resolving paternity before birth supports more informed and early decision-making, reducing the need for urgent, reactive measures after the baby is born, and easing the emotional burden for all involved.
What documentation is provided to support the results of a NIPP test?
An AlphaBiolabs legal NIPP test includes an Expert Report, for no additional fee. This enhanced report covers:
- Laboratory accreditation – including ISO 17025 accreditation & ISO 9001 certification
- Qualifications & experience of Reporting Scientist
- Request of analysis
- Chain of custody details for sample collection
- Technical information regarding the DNA testing performed
- Donor & sample information including photo ID
- DNA analysis & results – summary of results including full details of analysis
Is a NIPP test admissible in court?
Our NIPP test/legal prenatal paternity test is 100% legally admissible.
In addition, we:
- Follow strict chain of custody procedures throughout the testing process, from sample collection to analysis at our laboratory.
- Own and operate a state-of-the-art genetics laboratory.
- Employ highly-skilled in-house geneticists, with decades of collective experience in forensic DNA testing.
- Provide easy-to-understand expert reports.
Protect your case timelines – establish paternity from 7 weeks pregnant, with zero risk
AlphaBiolabs’ NIPP testing represents the gold standard in prenatal paternity testing for legal matters, analysing up to 153 DNA markers for unparalleled accuracy.
More reasons to choose AlphaBiolabs:
- Rapid results
- Test from 7 weeks’ pregnant, enabling courts, local authorities and parents to act sooner on safeguarding or residency orders
- 100% safe with zero risk of miscarriage
- ISO 17025 accredited and ISO 9001 certified
- Expert advice and a dedicated Case Manager to fully manage your instruction
- Expert Report included, for no additional fee
- Nationwide sample collection – removes logistics headaches for solicitors and social workers
- FREE legally-instructed sample collections from our walk-in centres
- Price Promise: we will beat any like-for-like quote by a further 10%
For more information, contact our New Enquiry team on 01 402 9466 / testing@alphabiolabs.com or complete our online quote form https://www.alphabiolabs.ie/legal-test-forms/, and a member of the team will be happy to discuss the requirements of your case.
Legal Prenatal DNA Testing
Court-admissible, non-invasive prenatal paternity testing – direct from Ireland’s No.1 DNA testing laboratory.
