Paternity DNA test

Types of tests

• We offer DNA tests according to your needs - both anonymous and legally accepted.
• Results of anonymous tests do not contain any personal data.
• It is convenient to perform an anonymous test remotely by purchasing it in the e-shop.
• We are the only laboratory in Latvia that offers tests accepted by forensic experts for solving legal issues. For legally accepted tests, all test persons must arrive in the laboratory for sampling.
• As an anonymous test result is not valid for legal issues, we recommend that you take a legally valid test as a first choice, if possible.
• If the test is required for legal procedures, we recommend a DNA test for three people - the supposed father, mother, and child, since this type of test is usually requested by courts.
• GenEra Laboratory also offers a paternity test during pregnancy - a non-invasive prenatal paternity test. The sampling takes place at our Laboratory, while the testing procedure is performed in a US laboratory. If you are interested in this test, please contact us.

About the test

The test is based on the fact that everyone inherits half of their DNA molecules (chromosomes) from the mother, and a half - from the father.

To determine whether a man is the biological father of a child, it is necessary to compare the DNA material of the alleged father and the child to confirm or decline the biological association of these persons. In addition, the maternal DNA test is also recommended, especially for legal issues.

The standard sample is a smear of the cheek mucosa (saliva sample), which is a safe and painless procedure. 

The DNA profile (STR genotype) is almost unique for everyone, and the probability that two non-blood-related men will have an identical DNA profile is minuscule. 

The paternity DNA test we offer is highly accurate since the results are compared in 21 or 30 DNA regions (loci). Also, we use the gene or allele frequency database of the Latvian population, which makes the test even more accurate. If any of the persons involved are of a different origin,  we use the relevant database, thus ruling out the possibility of inaccurate results.

Additional information:

For your information: alimony claims apply as soon as the claim is brought to court. This means that avoiding court-ordered testing will not reduce the total amount of alimony payable; you will also have to pay for the time you avoid undergoing the prescribed examination. (29 August 2007, Ruling of the Senate of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Latvia in case No. SKC-556). 

Test results (expert’s report) and STR genotypes will be stored at SIA GenEra for 10 years after the results are prepared.

If the person involved in the test chooses to receive the test report/STR genotype in person, the result can be received at SIA GenEra during its working hours within 6 months after the test. Once the 6-month period expires, the test result (opinion)/STR genotype is issued for a fee according to the current laboratory price list.

Interpretation of results:

• A positive or confirmatory result is possible if in all DNA loci tested one of the child's results coincides with the result of the possible father (another result must match with the mother's result if three persons are tested). A positive test result always has a very high statistical probability (usually starting from 99.99%).
• A negative result is when in the child's DNA profile at least two or more DNA loci do not match the result of the tested man. In this case, the accuracy is 100%, meaning that the tested man is NOT the child's biological father.

Questions about testing:

1. What do I need for testing?
   For the “Paternity DNA Test” results to be legally valid, all persons involved in the test must arrive at GenEra Laboratory in person to submit testing samples. All persons over the age of 15 must sign a consent form and are informed of the testing procedure. All persons involved in the test must present a valid personal identification document: passport, identity card, or birth certificate (0-14 y.o.).
2. Is it mandatory for the people involved in the testing to come to the laboratory at the same time?
   If the court has set a specific date and time for the sampling, you must come precisely on that day and at that time. If one of the parties does not arrive on time, we take samples from those who are present and inform the court that a party failed to arrive. If the court has not specified the date and time for sampling, you may contact the laboratory to agree on the most convenient date and arrive on your own.
3. How old should the child be for testing?
   A paternity test can be performed at any age, even for a newborn baby. Since only a saliva sample is taken, it is neither painful nor dangerous for the baby.
4. What samples are required?
   A few hundred cells are enough for the test, so the safest and most convenient option is a saliva sample — a swab from the oral mucosa. This is exactly the sample we use for standard testing. Samples of other tissues can also be used for an additional fee - earwax, blood, chewing gum, hair with "roots", cigarette butts, etc. In case of a non-standard sample, we recommend that you contact us beforehand by calling or writing to info@genera.lv.
5. What results will I receive?
   You will receive a description of the assay, including the test subjects, assay methodology, equipment and reagents, and a positive or negative test result. For legally valid tests, the results will be confirmed by a forensic expert.
6. How are the test results communicated?
   To guarantee confidentiality, the customer receives the report only through the method of his/her choice: by e-mail, in a registered letter, or at the laboratory in person. Of course, the customer can leave his/her phone number and agree that an employee will call and announce the result, however, the results will not be provided by phone if the customer calls the laboratory himself/herself. 

Information for judges and courts (in latvian):

Attention! Changes to the usual visiting procedure due to the COVID-19 pandemic!

The laboratory accepts clients and patients in person strictly by prior appointment. To apply for a visit, write info@genera.lv or call us at +371 26267833!

  +371 26 267 833

   info@genera.lv

  Rātsupītes iela 1 k-1, Rīga

 Mārupes iela 22, Rīga