Relationship testing to establish paternity – Who should be tested when the alleged father is not available?

In cases where neither the alleged father nor a sample for the alleged father is available for testing, who should be compared to the child? Well, the very best option when the alleged father is not available is to have both of his biological parents test. Therefore, testing the child’s alleged biological paternal grandparents.  If only one alleged paternal grandparent is available but the other is not, testing the one alleged paternal grandparent along with the mother of the child is a good option.

If no paternal grandparents are available, an alleged paternal aunt, uncle or sibling can be compared to the child in question. As with any relationship test, there is a chance of an inconclusive result. An inconclusive result simply means there is not enough DNA to say one way or another whether a biological relationship exists between the relative(s) and the child in question. This is why it is so important to determine which parties to include in the DNA test in order to produce the strongest result possible based on your specific situation. Many times, the sex of the child makes a difference as to which relative(s) need to be included in the test.