I am almost 60 years old and my father now claims that he may not be my father. He is elderly and has said that he will do a DNA test and then he says that he will not.
Do I have a human right to know the truth of the matter and to insist that he performs this test to prove or disprove his claims? I seem to have an overwhelming need to know.
When questions about paternity arise
Discovering that the man you have always believed to be your father might not be can be profoundly shocking. This is true whether the suggestion comes early in life or, as sometimes happens, decades later.
If a parent or relative has recently raised doubts about your biological parentage, you may be feeling confused and uncertain about where you stand. You might also be wondering whether you have any legal right to find out the truth.
Describe what has happened and find out which UK human rights protections apply and what you can do.
Try our Rights Situation Checker free, here on this site →What the law says about establishing paternity
In the UK, if a man was married to your mother at the time of your birth, the law presumes he is your biological father unless proven otherwise. This marital presumption is strong and exists independently from the birth certificate, though being named as the father on the certificate reinforces it. Challenging this presumption usually requires clear evidence.
DNA testing is the most reliable way to confirm or rule out a biological relationship. However, there is no law that can force an adult to take a DNA test against their will. This reflects broader human rights principles concerning bodily autonomy. If your father agrees to a DNA test but subsequently withdraws consent, you cannot legally enforce compliance.
The situation is different when paternity disputes arise in court proceedings, such as child maintenance cases. In those circumstances, a court can draw conclusions from a person's refusal to provide a sample. But for an adult child simply seeking the truth about their parentage, there is currently no equivalent legal mechanism.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
Practical steps you can take
If your father is willing to take a DNA test, many private companies in the UK offer home testing kits. These typically cost between £100 and £200 and involve a simple cheek swab. Results are usually available within a few weeks.
For a test result to be used in legal proceedings, it must be carried out by an accredited provider. The Ministry of Justice maintains a list of laboratories approved specifically for legal paternity testing on GOV.UK. This is separate from the private tests that individuals may choose to do at home.
If a DNA test is not possible, you might consider speaking with other family members who could shed light on the situation. These conversations can be valuable, though they also carry the risk of conflict or emotional difficulty. Medical records or family documents may also provide useful information, though these will rarely give you a definitive answer.
It is also worth considering whether the person raising these doubts is in good health. Later in life, health issues that might affect memory or perception can sometimes lead people to make statements that do not reflect reality. A conversation with other relatives may help you understand whether the claim has any foundation.
Legal rights and emotional considerations
While children do have a recognised interest in knowing their biological origins, this right is most clearly established in specific contexts. These include adoption, donor conception, and cases involving separated parents. For an adult seeking to verify their parentage, the legal framework offers less direct support.
That said, some people in your situation have found ways to get the answers they need through honest conversations, voluntary DNA testing, or genealogical research.
The emotional impact of these discoveries can be significant. Organisations such as the charity PAC UK offer support to people affected by issues of identity and parentage. Counselling services may also help you process difficult feelings, whatever the outcome of your search for answers.
If you are unsure about your legal position or need further guidance, Citizens Advice can provide free and impartial information regarding legal rights in family matters.
Anyway, fast forward to now, my parents live abroad where my brother also lives. Following Brexit, I thought it a good idea to get a European passports for my children and myself from a Western European country they all live in. I therefore asked for her birth certificate, marriage certificate, my birth certificate etc which she sent me photos of on mobile.
However, although I compartmentalised the above, niggles have always remained which exposed from certificates that my parents married a year after I was born and whilst 3 months pregnant with my brother. We were always told that they married a year before my birth. Also, there is no original birth certificate from my year of birth, but a certificate from what looks like a re-registration of my birth, at the same time my brother's birth was registered. Presumably, this was when my "father's" name was added. When I married (now divorced), I simply requested a short form birth certificate.
I have naturally, questioned all this and have only had replies back from my brother who has access to their mobiles as being in very late 70s/early 80s, they're not very tech savvy; this therefore is not unusual in itself. What to me is unusual to me and incredulous, is that both my parents should have called to explain what they cannot deny. Instead, they're presumably asking my brother to reply to my texts in which I'm told that they are both very upset, saddened and stressed by my questions. Additionally, I was even asked why the interest after all this time, as if I were enquiring about a broken plate! Neither of my parents have volunteered any information and not only are they burying their heads, but they have not directly contacted me either. I've said I'm here for when they want to talk as don't want to appear aggressive; my mother now has a heart condition and my father a brain tumour, but conscious of time elapsing without answers. Any comments welcomed. Thank you
My question is I met my bio father last year . During one of our first encounters he said that he seen me 5x after I was born because people said I look like him . His comment from me asking why didn’t you do a dna test was ur mom said I wasn’t so how I going to force a dna test ... my thought was if I knew a kid could been my and the dates added up a court order test . So if a bio father some what knew I was his can I collect child support for 18 years ?
Is this legal?
I'm 52 and was adopted in 1968. My biological mother passed away many years ago. My birth certificate states [Father Unknown]. In my adoption paperwork, it provides information on two men who were interviewed as potential father. Recently, I have taken a DNA test with one of these individuals to establish if there is a relationship. The result was negative. I have approached the second individual but he refuses to take the test. Have I a legal right to make him to take the test? If so, how exactly do I go about this? What is the process and the logical steps to take?
My biological mum , went to her grave with the secret of who my father is
I am 69 years old
Time is running out to find some answers
Please advise
Irene Sutcliffe
Scotland UK
I remember at age 10, I asked my mother why my younger brother M and I don't have full features if we were “full blood". I was brown, he was fair skinned as children. I'm the eldest 2 years apart, we visited our “dad" often. She sat me down, explained to me she had met him, while pregnant with me. And where my biological father went. As a child, it made me think alot, knowing I had another parent out there.
My mother met my biological father in mid summer of 1999. In their youths, early 20s. They’re both Indigenous. My Biological Father (Sioux) from North Dakota, USA. My mother (Ojibwa/Sioux) from Manitoba, CAN. They didn't date much, but had interest. They went different ways, after, she ended up pregnant with me. In Fall of 1999 my mother met my (step dad) shortly after and accepted me as his. May 2000 i was born, my (step dad) signed my Birth Certificate. He had been with my mom the whole 8 months, before birth
So my biological father was still here in Canada. After my parent's incident. Same year - summer 1999. My father met my relative (Aunty/ Mother's cousin). They started dating, conceived my brother T, he stayed until they separated in 2002.
My Biological Father moved back to North Dakota for a while. Later on, early 2000-2005 he met 2 more partners and concieved 2 sons/brothers J&A in Canada. After his visit he moved back to the USA. He had been in the USA since. My bio father had contacted me 2012 through Mail he told me about himself. He told me he has 8 children. 4 in Canada. 3. {Brother T, J&M, Me}. 4 older children in North-South Dakota,Montana. We reconnected in 2016, since 2016 i have 10 siblings from my bio father. Sadly, he passed in December 2019 without meeting eachother. I've never left Canada or left my country. I only have my siblings, aunties and uncle from my biological father he passed away. They're in my life most importantly. I've planned to travel the USA with my Canadian siblings, to meet my other american families.
What troubles me though, I plan to move to USA someday. My step dad is on my original/legal birth certificate. I understand my mother's choice at the time, letting him sign my certificate. Now I'm older, I want to know my actual family in USA. I'm unsure on how legal documents work in USA & CAN. I just want to have proof I have my siblings, that they are my half. My bio father signed
If I were to apply for USA CITIZENSHIP, would the process be difficult based in USA? If I moved from Canada to USA. I want to know, I'd definitely do DNA swab with my siblings. The ones who has my bio father on birth certificates. Right? I just can't go there and say “Hey, I'd like to move here i ha
I am a 44 year old woman. My mother gave me up for adoption as a child. I have always believed my mothers husband at the time was my biological father. After recently doing an ancestry DNA test, I have found my mothers relative was under the impression another man was my father. The ancestry results also hint this as there is no trace of my 'fathers' family. I need some closure. Can I take all three of them to court to find out the truth, or does anyone know of any other way I could find this out?
Many thanks
It seems that he is protecting his mother who misrepresented/lied when she wrote to the court claiming I was a vexatious litigant. They did not to attend any of the hearings.
I believe that, in the circumstances, a father should be able to find out whom he has sired, with the blessings of the court; especially as the respondent has children who should know their line of ancestry and whether I am their grandfather.
I need a lawyer who can agree to help me get to the truth. I am of the opinion that the establishment of the truth is a fundamental legal requirement that is enshrined in family law.
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