DNA Testing - Burlington, MA
Health Street offers DNA testing, legal paternity tests, and sibling DNA tests in Burlington, Massachusetts at a centrally located testing laboratory. Register now, or call us at (781) 217-3474 with any questions. Our paternity testing (including grandparent DNA tests, avuncular (aunt or uncle) testing, and postmortem DNA testing) determines if two or more people are related.
Schedule your DNA test appointment online. Our legal DNA test results can be used in court for matters such as: child support, birth certificates, and custody cases. Appointments can be scheduled together or separately. Legal DNA tests are done by cheek swab at our testing centers. We also offer home DNA test kits for peace of mind. DNA can be tested from hair, fingernails, and other specimens.
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DNA Test - Burlington, Massachusetts
Paternity Testing in Burlington, Massachusetts
There are several types of DNA testing services that are offered at our Burlington testing centers to validate close family relationships. The most commonly ordered DNA test is a legal paternity test to conclusively establish whether or not a man is the biological father of a child. Health Street's 21 marker DNA paternity testing is the state of the art. Our paternity test results are statistically conclusive at the rate of 99.9% or greater.
Other DNA Tests
Relationship Tests to validate grandparent to grandchild, siblings, half-siblings, aunts, and uncles:
DNA tests such as sibling or avuncular studies, can sometimes come back with a result of less than 95% certainty. This is normal, especially if only two parties participate in the test. Adding an additional close relative to the test helps us learn more about the family's DNA composition and typically leads to a more conclusive result.
Specimens we can test for DNA
The easiest and most reliable way to perform a genetic sample collection for a paternity test is by a swab of the inner cheeks. These skin cells, known as buccal cells, rub off easily onto cotton swabs and remain in place, to be extracted by our testing laboratories for analysis.
Other specimens, such as hair follicles, fingernails, and garments that might contain someone's DNA, can also undergo lab testing to see if there is a match. These non-standard DNA tests are done by registering online for an Alternative Specimen DNA Test (Nails, Teeth, Fabric). Once registered, you ship the DNA sample to our lab. We'll attempt to extract the DNA and compare it to a cheek swab of the other party.
Legal DNA Tests vs. "Peace of Mind" At-Home Tests
When deciding which type of DNA test is right for you, consider first what you might do with the results. In order for the results to hold up in court, the DNA specimen must be collected at a clinic using strict chain of custody procedures. The DNA testing technicians at our Burlington test centers are trained to follow guidelines that ensure that the results can be used for legal purposes.
The results of our legal DNA tests can be used for any legal purpose:
Home tests offer more flexibility:
Home DNA tests are specimens containing DNA (or possible DNA) that are shipped to us for analysis. The results of these home tests cannot be used in court (since there is no way to prove whose specimens were actually sent). However, the tests are just as accurate and can provide peace of mind. At-home DNA tests also offer a lot more flexibility.
In addition to commonly mailed in DNA specimens like hair follicles, we can also extract DNA from other bodily fluids. We can even try and lift the DNA left on items like clothing, a toothbrush, or a straw. If we can get the DNA from the alternative item, we can then compare it to another person to see if they are related. Some examples include:
How to schedule a DNA Test in Burlington MA
Scheduling a DNA test at one of our Burlington clinics is simple and fast, and we often have appointments available in the same week, though it's always helpful to schedule in advance to make sure you get the time you want. We have clinics in Burlington, plus many more throughout Massachusetts and across the United States. During registration, we'll show you the nearest locations so you can choose the one that's most convenient. You'll pick the times and days that you prefer.
You can set up separate appointments for each of the people being tested, either at the same location or at different locations. You'll get an email and text message with your appointment information. There is no fee if you need to change the time or location of a DNA test appointment at any time.
How long it takes to get results of a DNA test
Paternity tests conducted at one of our Burlington facilities typically take about a week to come back. Other relationship tests, such as sibling studies, can take a few days longer to come back. When the results are ready, you are notified immediately via email. Then, the hard copies of the paperwork are sent afterward via regular mail.
The DNA test appointment - what to expect and what to bring
The appointment itself only takes about 15 minutes. The specimen collection process is a simple and painless cheek swab. No needles are used. When you're being tested at our Burlington clinic, you'll be asked to provide fingerprints and to show photo identification. We'll also take pictures of the people being tested so that the final report will include legal assurances of who was actually tested.
For infants, hospital discharge papers qualify as identification. Otherwise, a birth certificate or social security card can be used as ID for a child. No other preparations are required for this appointment.
Does the mother need to be present at a paternity test?
If a man is considered the legal father of a child, then the mother does not have to be present or give consent for paternity testing. However, if he is not currently considered the legal father, then he cannot sign for the child. Therefore, the mother does need to be there. If neither parent is available, other legal guardians can bring the child so long as they have the right to make medical decisions on the child's behalf.
DNA testing if one party is not in Burlington
The two parties testing (for example: father and child) do not have to be tested at the same time or even at the same location. We have many clinics across Massachusetts as well as nationwide, so we can test one party in Burlington and the other party anywhere else in the USA. The specimens are then matched up in the lab for analysis.
Laboratory certifications
Health Street works strictly with AABB Certified labs for DNA testing. All specimens that are collected in Burlington or elsewhere are shipped securely from our testing locations to a nationally certified laboratory.
Why Health Street
More than a Decade of Experience
Since 2010, Health Street has offered DNA tests in Burlington, the state of Burlington, Massachusetts, and throughout the nation. Since our founding, we have focused on helping people obtain the DNA and paternity tests that they need, from Burlington to neighborhoods everywhere.
Commitment to Excellence
Our mission is to understand the DNA testing needs of our clients. We strive to provide the most accurate, fast, and conclusive paternity tests in Burlington.
Facts about DNA Testing in Burlington MA
Establishing Paternity in Burlington, MA
In the state of Massachusetts, where the city of Burlington resides, several steps must be taken to properly establish paternity. If the mother is married at the time of birth, it's assumed that her husband is the biological father. If the parents of the child are not married, but both agree on the father's paternity, a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Parentage form can be completed to avoid any courtroom visits. By submitting the form, both the mother and father agree to share the legal rights and responsibilities of the child.
Keep in mind, though, that if circumstances change after signing the acknowledgment, Massachusetts law allows only 60 days to cancel the Voluntary Acknowledgment. From here, a Burlington mother or father would need to file a court case with the Middlesex County Probate and Family Court. Once filed, Massachusetts law mandates that the courts must order genetic marker testing to determine an outcome of paternity.
Following the 60-day mark, cases in which either party can strongly present proof of fraud, duress, or material mistake may be acknowledged in court. Unfortunately, once a year has passed, even this basis for an acknowledgment override is no longer available. Even hard definite proof, like a DNA test, will generally not change the status of the acknowledgment and both individuals must remain the child's legal parents.
Key Cases that Influenced Paternity and DNA Laws in Massachusetts
As previously discussed, the state of Massachusetts established a 60-day limit for how long a parent may challenge the status of parentage following the birth of a child. The case of Paternity of Cheryl, 434 Mass 23 (2001), proved the weight behind this 60-day limit as well as proper DNA testing.
Cheryl was born on August 29, 1993. On behalf of the mother, a complaint was filed through the Probate and Family Court against the father to establish his paternity and seek child support. The department moved forward with the proceedings and asked the parents to submit DNA testing. For unknown reasons, the father skipped DNA testing and willingly signed an acknowledgment to establish his parentage.
The father routinely paid child support for nearly six years—up until the courts requested a weekly support increase. Then, he claimed that he had reasonable doubt of his paternity to Cheryl. With the father now requesting the DNA testing he willingly skipped six years ago, the child's interests outweighed any of the father's in court.
The court ordered that the father would continue to pay child support and that he was not authorized to obtain DNA testing without a court order. The father went against the order to obtain his own DNA testing, which revealed he was not the biological father. However, due to his lack of efforts to complete earlier DNA testing or present a paternity case in court, the father was declined any sort of retroactive relief.
What Experts Have to Say About Child Custody Issues in Burlington, MA
Even when DNA testing is completed and paternity is established, it's not uncommon for custody and parenting schedules to change over time. For instance, a father who has minimal parenting roles now, but still pays out child support, could end up playing a full-time parenting role in a child's life later on.
Burlington family law attorney, Talia Simonds, recommends that if parenting plans change, both parents should always present their circumstances in Burlington Probate and Family Court and avoid any private agreements. Private agreements can result in unfair support payments and miscommunication of what is expected from either parent.
Locations
Clinic Hours for DNA Testing in Burlington, Massachusetts
90 Middlesex Tpke Burlington, MA 01803Some Burlington Neighborhoods That We Serve
Additional Services
Health Street offers a variety of other services, including: