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Legal DNA Maternity Testing

In legal DNA testing the most common form of testing is to identify the potential father of a child - but that isn't always the case. There are also occasions where there is a requirement to identify whether an individual is the biological mother of a child.

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Legal DNA Maternity Testing

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Next Day Maternity DNA Test Results

As with all of our DNA relationship testing services we offer a 'Next Day DNA' service, as standard at no extra cost. This means that if all the DNA samples for your test arrive at our UK testing laboratory before 10am, we aim to send the test result to you by the end of the next working day by email.

DNA Testing Information

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Arranging Testing and DNA Sampling

You can complete your maternity test registration online or by calling our Customer Services team. Cellmark will assist with arranging appointments for DNA samples to be taken. You can use:

  1. Our dedicated nationwide mobile sampling service
  2. Your own GP
  3. A GP from the list we supply

At the sample collection appointment a mouth swab will be rubbed gently and painlessly on the inside of the mouth to collect a sample of cheek cells.

Sampling Information

Maternity DNA Sample Mouth Swab
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CARE, ACCURACY AND PRECISION

UK Accredited Laboratory

As a member of the Ministry of Justice's list of accredited bodies, Cellmark is accredited to carry out parentage tests directed by the civil courts in England and Wales under section 20 of the Family Law Reform Act 1969. Our laboratory in Abingdon, Oxfordshire is accredited to ISO 17025 and certified to ISO 9001ISO 14001 and ISO 27001 international quality standards.

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Further DNA Maternity Testing Information

A maternity test can be used where a child has been adopted and as an adult has sought to find their birth mother – once re-united testing may be undertaken so that their true biological relationship can be confirmed.  Maternity testing is also sometimes used to confirm the biological links to a child conceived by in vitro fertilisation. 

If you elect to use a GP for your DNA sampling you should allow at least two days for Cellmark to deliver the DNA sampling kit to the surgery. Each person being sampled will need two passport-sized photographs with them to confirm their identity. However, if you choose to use Cellmark's mobile sampling service they carry kits and forms and no photographs are required as they will be taken at the appointment. 

In the laboratory our scientists test the DNA samples with 24 ‘markers’ (for more information see our FAQs) to analyse the relationship of the people being tested. This produces extremely accurate results which will either exclude the woman from maternity with 100% certainty, or will confirm a close biological relationship.  Maternity is usually indicated with a very high level of confidence in excess of 99.99%.   If it is possible, including a sample from the child’s biological father is recommended as this will ensure that we can report the most conclusive statistical result.

Cellmark provides a fast court approved service without compromising accuracy and quality, giving you the reassurance that your testing is in good hands. Our prices start from £324 (+VAT).

Our testing prices include the following - as standard:

  • All sampling kits and the cost of sending them to UK sampling locations.
  • Pre-paid return envelopes to safely transport the samples to our laboratory.
  • The cost of testing the samples once they have been received at our laboratory.
  • Our standard 'Next Day' turn around time.
  • The cost of producing and delivering the final test report.
  • Our advice service for the duration of the case accessible via email, Freephone and our web Chat service.

Please note, in addition to the DNA testing cost, you will also need to pay to have the DNA samples taken. Our customer services team can provide full details on how the sampling process works and the costs involved.

Read all our DNA testing FAQs

CONVENIENT, CONCLUSIVE, CONFIDENTIAL

Home Maternity Tests

In addition to legal or Court approved DNA testing we also provide a 'peace of mind' or 'curiosity' home testing service. Please visit our home DNA testing website for more information and to purchase one of our home DNA test kits. 

Home DNA testing

DNA at Home - Home DNA Maternity Testing from Cellmark