Is paternity established through a court or via DNA testing?

In Hawaii, paternity can be established through either a court or via DNA testing. When a child is born to unmarried parents, the father’s paternity can usually be established through a court. The court can order the parents to sign an Affidavit of Paternity, which legally identifies the father as the parent. This document must be filed with the Hawaii Department of Health and the father’s name will be added to the child’s birth certificate. If the father and mother are not able to agree on who the father is, then a court may order a DNA testing to legally establish paternity. This testing is a precise and reliable way to determine if a man is the father of the child. The testing is easy and involves collecting a sample of either the father’s or the child’s DNA from a simple cheek swab. The DNA testing lab can then compare the two samples and determine the paternity of the child with accuracy. In either case, paternity must be established in order for the father to have legal rights to the child and access to the child. Once paternity is established, the father can then be responsible for paying child support and can have visitation and custody rights. Paternity can also be important in cases of inheritance and medical issues.

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Is paternity established through a court or via DNA testing?

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