Legal or informational paternity test: which one do you need?

Short answer: choose the informational test if you just want to know, and the legal test as soon as an official process is possible (child support, custody, parentage, name change). The science is the same. What changes is the proof of who was tested.

What is the difference between an informational and a legal test?

Both tests analyse DNA the same way, in the same laboratory, which is ISO 17025 accredited by the Standards Council of Canada. Accuracy is identical, with a precision rate of 99.99%.

The difference lies in how the samples are collected.

Informational test

• Collection: at home, by yourself
• Identity: not verified
• Chain of custody: none
• Use: personal or family
• Report: PDF, personal use

Legal test

• Collection: by Adnà, with a neutral witness
• Identity: verified with photo ID
• Chain of custody: documented from collection to the lab
• Use: court, lawyers, official processes
• Report: certified report, accepted as evidence

With an informational test, the lab can confirm that sample A and sample B are (or are not) related. It cannot certify that sample A came from the person named on the form. That certainty is what the legal test adds.

Why can't an informational test be turned into a legal one afterwards?

Because the proof is created at collection, not at analysis. For a result to be recognised, a neutral person must:

1. check each participant's photo ID;
2. take or supervise the samples, and photograph the participants;
3. seal the samples in front of them and have them sign consent forms;
4. ship the package to the lab themselves.

Once a swab has been taken alone at the kitchen table, none of these steps can be rebuilt. The lab cannot "certify" a result after the fact, so a new legal collection is needed.

Practical tip: if legal proceedings are even a possibility in the coming months, start with the legal test. You'll avoid paying twice and making everyone wait twice.

Which one do I need for child support, custody or a name change?

As soon as a judge or an official document is involved, you need the legal test. This includes:

• child support, whether you are claiming or contesting it;
• custody or access rights, when parentage is in question;
• recognising or contesting paternity in court;
• a change of name or an amended birth certificate that follows a change in parentage;
• an estate, when a link to a deceased person must be proven.

One important point: even a legal test does not, on its own, change the parentage recorded with the Directeur de l'état civil. A court judgment or a voluntary acknowledgement does that, and the legal test is the evidence that gets you there.

The informational test is enough when the question is personal: you want to clear up a doubt, reassure a partner, or prepare a family conversation before going further.

Immigration: for an IRCC application, Adnà does not offer a validated test. We recommend Wyndham Forensic Group, a Canadian ISO 17025 accredited laboratory recognised by IRCC.

How much does each cost, and how long do results take?

Informational test

• Price (alleged father + 1 child): $225
• Sample collection: included in the kit, done by you
• Kit delivery: 2–3 business days (shipped the same day)
• Results: 5–7 business days after the lab receives the samples

Legal test

• Price (alleged father + 1 child): $325
• Sample collection: included at our Montreal office, or $200 extra at home
• Kit: no delivery, collection is by appointment
• Results: same turnaround, 5–7 business days

Results are emailed to you as a PDF at the address used for the order. Non-standard samples (toothbrush, hair, blood) cost more ($650) and take longer, because the lab first has to adapt its extraction method.

Where is the legal sample collected?

You have two options, always by appointment:

• at our Montreal office, at no extra cost;
• at home, in Greater Montreal and surrounding areas only, for an extra $200.

Adnà takes the samples, and a neutral witness confirms each participant's identity. In practice:

• we photograph each participant's ID;
• we take a photo of the participants together;
• everyone fills in the consent and identification form;
• we take and handle the samples ourselves, up to shipping them to the lab.

Each participant must bring photo ID. For a child, bring their birth certificate or health insurance card, and the parent or guardian giving consent must be present. The appointment takes about 15 minutes and is painless: a swab is rubbed inside the cheek.

In short

• You want to know: informational test, at home, $225.
• You need to prove: legal test, collected by Adnà, $325.
• If in doubt, take the legal test, because an informational test can never become a legal one afterwards.

Keep reading:

• Is a paternity test accepted in court in Quebec?
• Can you do a paternity test without the mother's consent?
• Discreet paternity test: what stays confidential?

Order my paternity test, informational or legal → Choose "Legal" or "Non legal" on the product page. Questions? Use the live chat, email info@adnalacarte.com or call 514-233-5456.

This article provides general information. It is not a substitute for advice from a lawyer or notary about your situation.