DNA Testing for Paternity, Maternity, Sibling and Immigration

The below information is a general guide. Please conduct further research on your state laws for current or updated information or contact a family attorney for professional legal advice. For information on state collection locations, click here.

Link: NY Division of Child Support Enforcement – Establishing Paternity

Link: Establishing Paternity – City Of New York Office of Child Support

Link: Establishing Paternity – What you Should Know

Link: New York Family Court Self Help – Forms

Required Probability of Paternity for New York Courts: 95%

Required Paternity Index: None at this time

Current New York Paternity Law: Section 4135

§  4135-b.  Voluntary  acknowledgments of paternity; child born out of wedlock.

1. (a) Immediately preceding or following the in-hospital birth of a child to an unmarried woman, the person in charge of such  hospital or  his  or  her  designated representative shall provide to the child’s mother and putative father, if such father is readily  identifiable  and available,  the  documents  and  written instructions necessary for such mother and putative father to complete an  acknowledgment  of  paternity witnessed   by   two   persons   not  related  to  the  signatory.  Such acknowledgment, if signed by both parties, at  any  time  following  the birth  of a child, shall be filed with the registrar at the same time at which the certificate of live birth is filed, if  possible,  or  anytime thereafter.  Nothing  herein  shall  be  deemed to require the person in charge of such hospital or his or her designee to seek out or  otherwise locate  a  putative father who is not readily identifiable or available.  The  acknowledgment  shall  be  executed  on  a  form  provided  by  the commissioner developed in consultation with the appropriate commissioner of  the  department of family assistance, which shall include the social security number of the mother and of the putative father and provide  in plain language

(i)  a  statement  by  the  mother  consenting  to  the acknowledgment of paternity and a statement that the putative father  is the  only  possible father,

(ii) a statement by the putative father that he is the biological father of the child, and

(iii) a statement that the signing of the acknowledgment of paternity by both  parties  shall  have the same force and effect as an order of filiation entered after a court hearing by a court of competent jurisdiction, including an obligation to provide  support  for  the  child  except  that,  only if filed with the registrar of the district in which the birth certificate has been filed, will the acknowledgment have such  force  and  effect  with  respect  to inheritance  rights.  Prior  to  the  execution  of an acknowledgment of paternity, the mother and the putative father shall be provided  orally, which may be through the use of audio or video equipment, and in writin with  such information  as  is  required  pursuant to this section with respect to their rights and the  consequences  of  signing  a  voluntary acknowledgment  of  paternity  including,  but  not limited to, that the signing of the acknowledgment of paternity shall establish the paternity of the child and shall have the same force and effect  as  an  order  of paternity  or  filiation  issued  by  a  court of competent jurisdiction establishing the duty of both parties to provide support for the  child; that  if  such an acknowledgment is not made, the putative father can be held liable for support only if the family court, after a hearing, makes an order declaring that the putative father is the father of  the  child whereupon  the  court  may  make  an  order  of  support  which  may  be retroactive to the birth of the child; that if made a  respondent  in  a proceeding  to  establish  paternity  the putative father has a right to free legal representation if indigent; that the putative  father  has  a right  to a genetic marker test or to a DNA test when available; that by executing the acknowledgment, the putative father waives his right to  a hearing,  to  which  he  would  otherwise  be  entitled, on the issue of paternity; that a copy of the acknowledgment of paternity shall be filed with the putative father registry  pursuant  to  section  three  hundred seventy-two-c  of  the  social  services  law,  and that such filing may establish the child’s right to  inheritance  from  the  putative  fatherpursuant  to  clause (B) of subparagraph two of paragraph (a) of section 4-1.2  of  the  estates,  powers  and  trusts   law;   that,   if   such acknowledgment  is filed with the registrar of the district in which the birth certificate has been filed,  such  acknowledgment  will  establish inheritance  rights  from  the putative father pursuant to clause (A) of subparagraph two of paragraph (a)  of  section  4-1.2  of  the  estates, powers  and  trusts  law;  that  no  further  judicial or administrative proceedings are required to  ratio  an unchallenged  acknowledgment  of paternity  provided,  however,  that  both  the  putative father and the
mother  of the child have the right to rescind the acknowledgment within the earlier of sixty days from the date of signing the acknowledgment or the date of an administrative or  a  judicial  proceeding  (including  a proceeding  to establish a support order) relating to the child in which either signatory is a party; that the “date of an  administrative  or  a judicial  proceeding”  shall  be  the  date  by  which the respondent is required to answer the petition; that after the expiration of sixty days of the execution of the acknowledgment, either signatory  may  challenge the  acknowledgment  of  paternity  in court only on the basis of fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact, with the burden  of  proof  on  the party  challenging  the  voluntary acknowledgment; that they may wish to consult with an attorney before executing the acknowledgment;  and  that they have the right to seek legal representation and supportive services including   counseling   regarding   such   acknowledgment;   that   the
acknowledgment of paternity may be the basis  for  the  putative  father establishing  custody  and  visitation  rights  to  the  child;  if  the acknowledgment is signed, it may be the basis for requiring the putative father’s consent prior to an adoption proceeding; the  mother’s  refusal
to sign the acknowledgment shall not be deemed a failure to cooperate in establishing paternity  for  the child; and the child may bear the last name of either parent, which name shall not affect the legal  status  of the child. In addition, the governing body of such hospital shall insure that  appropriate staff shall provide to the child’s mother and putative father,  prior  to  the  mother’s  discharge  from  the  hospital,   the opportunity   to   speak   with  hospital  staff  to  obtain  clarifying information   and   answers   to   their   questions   about   paternity establishment,  and shall also provide the telephone number of the local support collection unit.

(b) Within ten days after receiving  the  certificate  of  birth,  the registrar shall furnish without charge to each parent or guardian of the child  or  to  the  mother  at  the  address  designated by her for that purpose,  a  certified  copy  of  the  certificate  of  birth  and,   if applicable, a certified copy of the written acknowledgment of paternity. If  the  mother  is  in  receipt  of  child support enforcement services pursuant to title six-A of article three of the social services law, the registrar also shall furnish without charge  a  certified  copy  of  the certificate of birth and, if applicable, a certified copy of the written acknowledgment  of  paternity  to  the  social  services district of the county within which the mother resides.

2. (a) When a child’s paternity is acknowledged  voluntarily  pursuant to  section  one hundred eleven-k of the social services law, the social services official  shall  file  the  executed  acknowledgment  with  the registrar  of  the district in which the birth occurred and in which the birth certificate  has been filed.

(b) Where a child’s paternity has not  been  acknowledged  voluntarily pursuant  to  paragraph

(a)  of  subdivision  one  of  this  section or paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the child’s mother and  the  putative father  may voluntarily acknowledge a child’s paternity pursuant to this paragraph by signing the acknowledgment of paternity provided,  however, that both the putative father and the mother of the child have the right to  rescind the acknowledgment within the earlier of sixty days from the date of signing the acknowledgment or the date of an administrative or a judicial proceeding (including  a  proceeding  to  establish  a  support order)  relating to the child in which either signatory is a party; that for purposes of this section,  the  “date  of  an  administrative  or  a judicial  proceeding”  shall  be  the  date  by  which the respondent is required to answer the petition; that after the expiration of sixty days
of the execution of the acknowledgment, either  signator  may  challenge the acknowledgment  of  paternity  in court only on the basis of fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact, with the burden  of  proof  on  the party challenging the voluntary acknowledgment. The acknowledgment shall have full force and effect once so signed. The original or a copy of the
acknowledgement  shall  be  filed  with the registrar of the district in which the birth certificate has been filed.

3. (a) An acknowledgment of  paternity  executed  by  the  mother  and father of a child born out of wedlock shall establish the paternity of a child  and shall have the same force and effect as an order of paternity or  filiation  issued  by  a  court  of  competent  jurisdiction.   Such
acknowledgement shall thereafter be filed with the registrar pursuant to subdivision one or two of this section.

(b)  A  registrar  with  whom  an acknowledgment of paternity has been filed pursuant to subdivision one or two of this section shall file  the acknowledgment  with  the  state  department  of health and the putative father registry.
4. A new certificate of birth shall be issued if  the  certificate  of birth  of  a  child  born  out of wedlock as defined in paragraph (b) of subdivision one of section four thousand one hundred thirty-five of this article has been filed without entry of the name of the father, and  the commissioner thereafter receives a notarized acknowledgment of paternity accompanied  by the written consent of the putative father and mother to the entry of the name of such father, which consent may  also  be  to  a change in the surname of the child.

Link: New York Statues

This information is a general guide. Research your state laws for current information or contact a family attorney.