Paternity testing for legal/maintenance purposes versus ‘peace of mind’ testing
We offer paternity testing both for legal/maintenance purposes as well as self collection tests for ‘peace of mind’. The MDS paternity test result is accepted by South African courts of law, as long as certain procedures are followed to preserve the chain of custody when collecting the samples for analysis. Should the results be required for court it is recommended that blood samples be taken in the presence of a local magistrate, your G.P., a lawyer or one of our MDS Paternity Representatives. ‘Peace of mind’ paternity tests can be done by the individuals wanting the test themselves using a self collection paternity test kit, without the presence of a lawyer etc – but these results will not be able to be used in court or for any legal purposes.
Self collection paternity test kit
The MDS self collection paternity test kit is designed to address the challenges of people having to travel long distances to have samples taken for analysis. The kits are designed for self collection of samples from the mother, child and alleged father using just a cheek swab sample. The collection system is painless, convenient and maximises confidentiality as the sample can be taken by the individuals concerned and then sent to the laboratory for analysis.
Ordering the MDS self collection paternity test kit:
- You can contact our office on 031 267 7000 or [email protected] to request a kit and you will be sent an order form; alternatively, you can download the order form here: ADM RQT-0058-3 Paternity Test – Self Collection Kit Order EDITABLE
- For individuals residing within South Africa, your kit/s will be posted to you only once payment for the test has been received. If you reside outside of South African borders, we will send a quote of the courier cost to send the kit/s to you in addition to the amount required for the test and after receiving payment, your kit/s will be sent.
- When you receive the kit, you can follow the instructions on the paternity test contract or on this video below:
- Once the samples have been collected, send the kit/s back to MDS (either via courier or PostNet) (this will be at your own cost). We will send the results to the individual who paid for the test within 4 weeks, via email or post, as indicated on the initial order request.
Advantages
- Affordable self collection service.
- Non invasive painless procedure.
- Samples are stable and once collected, can be sent from anywhere in the world.
- Samples can be sent by PostNet or courier.
- Rapid and accurate test results.
- Confidentiality – Unique tamper evident security bags are used to ensure chain of custody of samples.
Paternity testing for legal/maintenance purposes
As explained above, should you wish to have a paternity test done for legal or maintenance purposes, strict procedures have to be followed. If your GP or lawyer does not take the samples, you can contact our office on 031 267 7000 to book a paternity test. We have paternity representatives around South Africa who can take samples for you.
For private cases, you will receive the results by fax or email within 4 weeks of the laboratory receiving the samples and an original copy of the results will also be sent by registered mail.
Results for paternity tests done through a court will be sent to the court maintenance officer. You are welcome to confirm your result with our office once you receive them. Strictest confidentiality regarding results is maintained at all times.
