Should Paternity testing be mandatory?

[mholz]

Considering its Father's day, to cut stress on social welfare; should paternity testing be made mandatory to encourage fairness on Child support payments and to call out deadbeat dads.

[FissionChips]

You cant just force people to give their DNA for testing, wtf?!

[DianaPrincessOfThemyscira]

No. Nice try though - dead beat dads aren’t generally not paying because they believe the child isn’t theres, they’re not paying because they’re arseholes

The government should be able to garnish wages appropriately and arrest parents (overwhelmingly men) who do not provide for their children.

[SleepingStandingUp]

So what happens if Fiona doesn't know who the dad is?
Or Mary escaped her violent ex and then discovered she was pregnant?
What happens if Grant refuses to submit his DNA?
What happens if Peter does, is the Dad, but doesn't work?
What happens if Joe does, he isn't the Dad, Steve is but Joe and Stacy wasn't to work on their marriage and stay together?

[4GreenApples]

No.

Mandatory paternity testing works on the assumption that women are liars who can’t be trusted to be faithful in relationships or honest about who’s fathered their children.

It’s frankly insulting to the majority of women to suggest this.

[DownAndUnder]

To cut stress on social welfare? Deadbeat dads can’t get away with paying maintence by claiming they aren’t the dad anyway, the CMS offers a DNA test and if they refuse it’s assumed they are the father and they have to pay.

[araiwa]

What problem do you think this would solve?

[CheeseWithCheeseOnTheSide]

No it should not. Deadbeat dad's who don't pay up are usually just financially abusing their ex. No need for us all to hand our dna over to some state run database willy nilly, there's already a process in place if there's a question mark over parentage. .

[Andrewofgg]

If a man seriously denies the paternity of a child for whom he is being asked to pay CM of course DNA testing should follow - but universal and mandatory training? No. Just no,

[mholz]

We already share a lot of intimate information online through social media platforms, so what is wrong with a 'mandatory DNA testing'. I can understand some of the potential issues. However, it could be a progressive process.

[HarryLovesDraco]

Why though?
What do you think it would achieve?

[SnuggyBuggy]

I suppose it could be added to the heelprick and you could in theory have everyone's DNA on a database. It would put Jeremy Kyle out of a job.

[NewYearNewMe18]

What provision are you making for donor sperm and IVF procedures?

[Walkingdeadfangirl]

It would cost a fortune to DNA test every man in the country. And who would pay to raise all the children of families that are split up when they find out their child isn't their own.

[UpstartCrow]

I'm not sure how you think a paternity test will convince a deadbeat dad to pay for his child.
They don't pay because they dont give a shit. If they contest paternity, they can ask the court for a paternity test. There's no need or benefit to make the test mandatory.

[ALongHardWinter]

IMO if a man refuses to take a paternity test,I think that speaks for itself. I agree with what PPs have said. A father who won't pay maintenance doesn't pay because they don't give a toss,not because they are contesting their paternity.

[NoIWontDoWhatYouSay]

Could go the other way though...there are plenty of women who aren't being honest about the paternity of their child.

[NoIWontDoWhatYouSay]

And stuff you post on social media is incomparable to a government having your DNA.

[HarryLovesDraco]

NoIWont I suspect that's the OP's main concern tbh

[rainingcatsanddog]

In 2016, a study suggested that 1 in 50 men were unwittingly raising a child that's not theirs. That's 2%.

I can think of a million better ways to use that money- schools, NHS, Police, extending the amount of statutory paternity leave...,

[rainingcatsanddog]

The current system of men who are not sure of paternity having a paternity test before paying CM probably has a higher "success" rate.

[Glumglowworm]

YABU

DNA testing won’t stop arseholes from refusing to support their children.

I would support more efforts to tackle non payers including those who fiddle their income to get out of paying any meaningful sum. It should be a criminal offence to not pay.

[BoxsetsAndPopcorn]

Torn in this, many do lie and it's unfair on the child and the men to be misled.

It won't solve chid support problems though, after all there are plenty of women who don't support their chidren financially just like some men don't.

[ChodeofChodeHall]

Introducing mandatory DNA testing will lessen the financial burden on the state... Riiiiiight.

[nottinghillgrey]

If you can tell us what you think it will achieve

[MrsTerryPratchett]

You wouldn't just have to trust the current government with your genetic material (and I don't) but every subsequent government.