What Taxes & Paternity Tests Have In Common
Hey Dads! Are you giving the mother of your child financial support? If you answered yes, you should keep reading.
Tax season is right around the corner and one thing some men might overlook is the legality of claiming their children as dependents. If your name isn’t listed on the birth certificate you need to take some precautionary steps to protect yourself from this type of issue. If you are not legally listed as the father of your child, you cannot claim an exemption on your tax return.
Both parents cannot claim a child; it has to be one or the other. Some mother’s might believe that if the father supplies financial support, he can file an exemption too, but that is not the case. Finding out this information when you go to file your taxes might be a surprise, but by taking precautionary steps in advance, you can avoid the situation. In most instances fathers have to prove that they are the paternal father, which is where we can help with our paternity tests.
At ANY LAB TEST NOW® we offer two types of paternity tests, but for this situation, you’ll need the legally admissible paternity test. Test results with proper chain-of-custody can be used as evidence for circumstances where you may:
- Seek military benefits for the child
- Seek child custody or custodial/visitation rights
- Be asked to place a child up for adoption
- Add or remove your name from the birth certificate
Give us a call today if you have any questions about our paternity tests or would like to schedule an appointment. You can also check out our Paternity eBook for more information.
Get Tested & Spread the Word: World AIDS Month
As December brings the holiday hustle and bustle, all of us at ANY LAB TEST NOW® don’t want you to forget that it’s World AIDS Month.
A shocking number of over 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV. HIV and AIDS are closely related as AIDS is classified as the final stage of HIV.
December is set aside each year to bring awareness to what AIDS can cause and how to prevent it from spreading further. Getting a lab test is the only way to truly know if you or your partner have contracted the disease. It’s important for you to know what’s going on in your body for your sake and for the safety of others around you.
Get yourself familiar at www.aids.gov to learn all you can about AIDS 101, prevention, what to know if you’re recently diagnosed and how to stay healthy once you have been diagnosed. Also, check out these lists of STD and HIV tests that we make available to you!
Raising Awareness for Health Centers During Health Center Week
Have you ever noticed that when you get sick you always feel the need to find out what’s wrong? Who wants to go another day with a tummy ache, a sore throat or the dreaded sinus headache and congestion? Believe it or not that’s one of the many benefits provided by health centers. You might start asking yourself… “But I don’t have insurance, so how can I get service?” The good news is you have options at your disposal that will empower you to Take Control of Your Health® whether you have high deductible insurance, a Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account, or if you are uninsured.
A great example of available options is ANY LAB TEST NOW®. Though ANY LAB TEST NOW® does not treat or diagnose, it does empower its customers to be proactive about managing their health by providing direct access to blood tests, DNA tests, drug and alcohol testing as well as other lab testing services. After you get your lab test results, you can quickly call a physician with our AmeriDoc telemedicine services program. The doctor is just a phone call a way, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can treat many non-emergent care issues by phone, video call, or chat.
According the National Association of Community Health Centers, there are around 44 million people in the U.S. that are currently uninsured with another 56 million with high deductible insurance. This often makes health take a back seat to cost, which stresses the importance of price transparency. Can you take more good news? ANY LAB TEST NOW®’s affordable, transparent prices fit into a person’s healthcare budget, providing a solution that continues to support overall health and wellness. Don’t let your health take a back seat, without it we are nothing.
During the week of August 11 – 17 the nation celebrates Health Center Week. Why not take the time during this week to stop by a health center near you, check in on your health and thank them for helping to empower you and your loved ones to Take Control of Your Health®?
To learn more about ANY LAB TEST NOW®’s lab testing options stop by an ANY LAB TEST NOW® near you or visit www.anylabtestnow.com
Paternity Doubts?
Regardless of whether you are an alleged father, mother, child or grandparent, dealing with questionable paternity brings on a rollercoaster of emotions that have an impact on your everyday life. You may feel angry or disappointed. You may feel complete confusion, or even embarrassment. The last thing you want to feel is judged.
Feeling these types of emotions is normal, especially when your relationship with your child and even other family members, partners or friends, is in question. Believe it or not, you are not alone. But, because you want the question to go away, the question running through your mind when you first make that step to know the truth is…“I just want to know.” You want the feelings and the cloud of doubt hanging over you to go away – NOW. However before making the decision to get a paternity test done, it is important to step back and approach the situation with a clear mind. What you do now may affect your, and most importantly, the child’s, future. The most important step to take before going through the test itself is to ask yourself, “Once I know…What am I ultimately going to do with the answer and test results?”.
The reason this step is so important is because there are two types of paternity tests. One type of DNA test is “informational”, also called a “peace of mind” DNA test or “self-collection kit. Although the DNA testing process is the same as for a legally-admissible paternity test, described further below, there is no chain-of-custody or identification information. As with kits purchased over-the-counter, there are also no guarantees on whose DNA is submitted if samples are not collected in front of each other. This means the test results cannot be used for any other purpose than to let you know the answer to the paternity question. That’s it – no names, no ID’s, nothing but a probability of paternity.
The most common type of paternity test is a Legally Admissible DNA Test. Remember that there are many factors that can change yours and the child’s lives after you have the test results that go beyond just knowing an answer. Will you or did you complete the Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity at the time of the child’s birth? You may need proper evidence to either add or remove your name in that case. Are you going to utilize the results to change your child’s name on their birth certificate? Will you be asking for any kind of financial benefits, such as child support? Will you be seeking child custody, social security or military benefits? Then you need paternity test results that will be accepted as legal evidence. These test results not only clear you of doubts but also help you get the aid that you, your child and your family need.
Everyone’s situation and circumstance is a bit different. Either way, it is safe to say that the process can be no fun at all. For that reason, it is important to find a partner that will make the process go as simple and stress-free as possible. Whether you need legally admissible results or you just want peace of mind, ANY LAB TEST NOW® is here to help you through this emotional time. We will guide you towards the right test for your particular situation in order for you to be able to take the necessary next steps. Best of all, you can get your results in an average of only 3 business days.
For additional information visit www.anylabtestnow.com or call your local ANY LAB TEST NOW® today! Don’t let a questionable paternity interfere with your relationships and daily life. The Truth is Waiting.
Texas Mistaken Paternity Law’s Deadline Around the Corner
Having a child is one of the most rewarding things in life. Sadly cases of mistaken paternity, where an individual is forced to take emotional and financial responsibility of a child that is not biologically theirs arise every day. In May 2011 Section 161.005 of the Texas Family Code was amended to allow any man to challenge the paternity of his child with a court admissible DNA test, regardless of how long ago he found out the child was not biologically his or had signed an Acknowledgement of Paternity (AOP). If test results find the man not to be the biological father of the child, the court must terminate that person’s parent child relationship as well as their child support order.
This law, however, came with a deadline of September 1st, 2012. This deadline fast approaches with only 5 days left for fathers in Texas that suspect mistaken paternity to get a court admissible DNA test. Once the deadline has passed every father that suspects mistaken paternity has a total of 12 months from the date of discovery to file their petition to terminate parental rights along with child support orders.
Mistaken paternity can be a stressful and complicated process for all involved. If there are doubts present, getting a court admissible DNA test is the best option to begin the process. ANY LAB TEST NOW® offers this test for men that find themselves in this predicament.
Entities like TexasLawHelp.org and local family attorneys can provide you with additional information and instructions for filing a Termination of Mistaken Paternity petition. For information and details about the court admissible DNA test or to find your nearest ANY LAB TEST NOW® Texas location visit https://www.anylabtestnow.com/
Got a Refund? Get a Paternity Test
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 41% of all babies are born out-of-wedlock (2009). This rate has been inching up year after year. Unfortunately, this also results in more highly-emotional relationship situations between the mother, the alleged father and even their families when it comes time to establish paternity for the child, who is ultimately affected by his or her parents’ reactions and decisions.
When a mother or father inquires about a paternity test, they most commonly state they just want to know the answer, is he or is he not the father; and they want to know quickly. Urgency is a given – these parents are dealing with so many emotions, ranging from anger to frustration to confusion to trying to decide whether or not they should bond with the baby yet. Many purchase what is called an “informational paternity test” or “self-collection kit” because it is the cheapest. Yet, is it the right test?
Here are the most common ways people ultimately use their paternity test results:
- Seek or deny child support
- Seek or deny child custody or visitation
- Seek military, health insurance or social security benefits
- Add or rescind a father’s name on the child’s birth certificate
- Adoption
This is the sad part: Parents buy the cheapest test, because it is what they can afford to answer their question. Yet, does it? No. These test results cannot be used to solve the most common ways people use paternity test results! In these instances, they must have a legally-admissible test result document – no other option.
It’s tough when you are a parent in this position; however, you have to get past the “I just want to know” and move towards what’s in the best interest of the child; how you and your family will be able to more quickly bond and develop a strong relationship with the baby when you know the answer; and relieving all of those emotions that ultimately show up when there are paternity questions.
If you didn’t have the money before, maybe now is the time. Many people will be getting their tax refunds this quarter. Consider investing in your child’s future and your peace of mind. It is a priority.
To learn more, download our free e-book, or contact your local ANY LAB TEST NOW location.
Can You Establish Paternity For a Missing Father?
Paternity testing in the United States has become big business. But why do so many people need it in the first place? Most paternity testing is done for financial reasons to provide for a child’s basic needs. The increasing number of out-of-wedlock births (nearly 41%) has put a huge burden on taxpayers who must provide welfare payments and food stamps to the single mothers and their children who are not able to support themselves or their children without the financial income of a second parent. We are all supporting these children. The government has tried to curtail this expense by requiring that when a woman obtains public assistance for her child, she MUST name the possible fathers (Title IVD of the federal Social Security Act, Aid to Families with Dependent Children). Improved technology has also made it more affordable and more reliable. 
Establishing paternity can be sticky enough without a missing or deceased, alleged father. If a single, pregnant woman or a single mother hasn’t been able to or hasn’t wanted to have the child’s father named and tested, it may seem that it’s too late when he’s out of the picture. The good news is that it isn’t too late and there are other testing options to formally have a man listed as the child’s father. Although it is too late to have the father provide child support, there are still ways that having the father identified can help to support the child.
To obtain social security or military death benefits, insurance benefits or settle an inheritance claim there are several methods for determining paternity:
Paternity Test Using a Blood Sample or Blood Stain Card: The specimen may be a blood sample or blood stain card from the medical examiner, or a specimen collected immediately after the time of death. The ability to maintain chain-of-custody for the alleged father’s sample is critical for seeking social security benefits.
Grandpaternity Test: This test compares genetic information collected from samples obtained from the mother, child and paternal grandmother and grandfather.
Y Chromosome Test: This test can be used if the child is male, and if there is another immediate, male family member related to the alleged father. The biological, paternal family member may be a brother, grandfather or another male that shares the same paternal lineage. A Y Chromosome Test is more robust and better accepted if combined with another type of DNA family relationship test.
ANY LAB TEST NOW®‘s DNA testing options provide confidential, accurate tests along with chain-of-custody documentation that is legally admissible in court. The ability to provide children with financial support that they are entitled to can make a very real difference in their long-term ability to complete school and be a working, contributing member of society.
