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Original poster

Should Paternity testing be mandatory?

157 replies

mholz · 17/06/2018 01:00

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.

OP posts:
Starlight345 · 17/06/2018 18:12

How does this help my Ds is 100% my exh . He also knows this no dna required . However he is still a deadbeat dad . How will a dna test change that ?
I also don’t know how you plan to fund this

ForalltheSaints · 17/06/2018 18:10

I am sure some people would be mortified at any suggestion that their DP or husband was not the father- would it cause the risk of domestic abuse, and what if the real father is not resident in the UK?

rainingcatsanddog · 17/06/2018 18:10

We live in a country where you're innocent until proven guilty. Citizens deserve their privacy as long as they aren't breaking laws.

Why would the government need this data? It is not capable of handling data already - especially when it involves different parts of the machine. For example in multiple child abuse cases the police, SS and school often knew the child was abused but they don't work together effectively.

PolkerrisBeach · 17/06/2018 18:08

Absolutely not. It's starting from a Point of assuming all relationships fail. Most don't. And even if they do fail, most absent parents do the right thing. Would it only be for unmarried fathers then? Or only at the point of splitting up? Or everyone at the point of delivery?

Totally ridiculous.

ohreallyohreallyoh · 17/06/2018 18:06

Yeah, ‘cos women can’t be trusted and we’re all slags...or at least those of us who are single parents, eh?

ShesABelter · 17/06/2018 18:04

No I dont think it would make a difference in terms of child financial support but I was just thinking, wouldnt a mandatory dna test at birth be good in terms of being able to catch crimials straight away.

Why would your dna being stored in a way bother anyone, not being goady just curious as it genuinely wouldnt bother me at all.

LeahJack · 17/06/2018 18:01

No it fucking shouldn’t. I don’t want my children’s DNA harvested for no good reason. If men have doubts they can sort it out via the legal pathway, pay for it or go on the Jeremy bloody Kyle show.

But most people don’t need or want it so it would be a pointless, expensive waste of time which could be better spent on post natal care.

MrsTerryPratchett · 17/06/2018 17:59

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

nottinghillgrey · 17/06/2018 17:59

If you can tell us what you think it will achieve

ChodeofChodeHall · 17/06/2018 17:58

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

BoxsetsAndPopcorn · 17/06/2018 17:57

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.

Glumglowworm · 17/06/2018 17:57

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.

rainingcatsanddog · 17/06/2018 17:57

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

rainingcatsanddog · 17/06/2018 17:55

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...,

HarryLovesDraco · 17/06/2018 17:53

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

NoIWontDoWhatYouSay · 17/06/2018 17:53

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

NoIWontDoWhatYouSay · 17/06/2018 17:49

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

ALongHardWinter · 17/06/2018 17:49

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.

UpstartCrow · 17/06/2018 17:44

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.

Walkingdeadfangirl · 17/06/2018 17:39

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.

NewYearNewMe18 · 17/06/2018 17:38

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

SnuggyBuggy · 17/06/2018 17:38

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.

HarryLovesDraco · 17/06/2018 17:36

Why though?
What do you think it would achieve?

Original poster
mholz · 17/06/2018 17:35

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.

OP posts:
Andrewofgg · 17/06/2018 02:55

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,