2. Get a paternity test

One way to prove if the person is your child’s biological father is to ask him to take a paternity test.

A paternity test is a medical test that compares a sample of your child’s DNA with a sample from the person you think is your child’s biological parent. The test results can show how likely it is that he is your child’s parent.

Usually the DNA is taken from a cheek swab or a blood test. A cheek swab is a way to collect DNA from the cells on the inside of a person’s cheek.  

To do a paternity test, make an appointment at a lab. The test costs about $200-$500. You should talk about how you will share this cost.

The lab will ask to see photo identification for all people being tested. This is so that the lab can be sure the right person is being tested. Some labs offer a legal test and a non-legal test. If you need to use the results of the test in court, you need to do a legal test.

If the person doesn’t agree or refuses to take a paternity test, you can go to court and ask a judge to order him to take a paternity test or to decide if he is a parent. A judge usually gives the person a chance to take a paternity test before deciding whether to make a court order that says he is a parent. See Step 3.