Florida courts use genetic testing, also referred to as a DNA test to determine paternity. The process is simple:

The mother, child and man believed to be the child's father are scheduled for a genetic test. All three must show up for the appointment with picture ID in hand. During the appointment, a lab worker will take a picture of the person being tested and get a fingerprint. Identification is carefully checked to ensure that the right person is being tested for paternity.

The lab worker will then use a small swab to wipe the inside of the cheek of each person to obtain a cell sample to be used for the test. Each sample is then sealed into individual envelopes that are sent to a genetic testing laboratory. The lab compares the samples from the mother, the child, and the suspected father to determine if a match exists. Genetic tests are 99.9% effective and the result is usually accepted by Florida judges.

If you have questions about establishing paternity or your rights as a parent, do not hesitate to contact Ellerin & Hutchinson to schedule a consultation with a Jacksonville family law attorney.

Recently, one of Tiger Woods' alleged mistresses filed legal documents in Manatee County, Florida.  The mistress, who filed the action under her legal name of Melinda Jannette, is asking that a judge determine the paternity of her 9 year old son, Austin Brinling.  The respondent listed on Jannette's petition was listed as Elderick Woods.

TMZ reports that the documents and petition were created to "establish paternity, parental responsibility, time-sharing, and/or child support of a minor child or children."  The documents also state that the person filing is trying to legally establish who is the father of a child.

At this time, the 9 year old is staying with Melinda's mother and the grandmother asserts that a DNA test was performed in 2002.  The test showed that another man was the boy's father.

However, Melinda asserts that her mother does not have any real DNA results and she plans to have Tiger submit to testing.

Are you hoping to establish the paternity of your child in Jacksonville?  If so, now is the time to contact Ellerin Hutchinson and discuss your case with a Jacksonville family lawyer.

When it comes to establishing paternity, people will have two options:  blood tests or DNA tests.  In the medical community, it is believed that of the two types of testing, DNA tests are the most reliable at proving paternity.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is the genetic material that exists in every cell of a human's body.  Every human has unique DNA, unless the human is a twin.  A person gets half of his/her DNA from his/her mother, and the other half from his/her father. 

When a DNA test is performed on a child, medical professionals will compare the genetic characteristics of the child to the mother.  The characteristics that cannot be found in the mother are then believed to have been inherited by the father.  During DNA testing, if the alleged father's DNA matches the child's other DNA characteristics, there is a biological relationship and paternity is established.

Would you like to learn more about paternity testing?  Contact Ellerin Hutchinson today to discuss your family matter with a Jacksonville family law attorney.

Jeffrey Toobin, an author and legal analyst for CNN, is the most recent public figure at the center of a paternity dispute.

Toobin recently appeared in a Manhattan family court to address accusations that he is the father of Casey Greenfield’s baby.

Greenfield and Toobin worked as associates at Gibson Dunn, one of the biggest law firms in the country, but the married Toobin has never publicly acknowledged or admitted to having an extramarital affair with Greenfield. There are, however, rumors that he privately acknowledged his relationship to Greenfield's child.

Greenfield, daughter of CBS News analyst Jeff Greenfield, has been asking Toobin to pay child support. Toobin refuses to put his name on the child’s birth certificate and has not paid a Greenfield a cent, which is why the two found themselves sitting in family court last week.

It is highly likely that Toobin will take a paternity test to determine whether or not he is the child’s father. If Toobin turns out to be the father, he will be held accountable for paying child support.

Men and women throughout the Jacksonville area come to Ellerin Hutchinson for help establishing paternity. Taking a DNA test is often the only way a man or woman can learn for certain the identity of child’s biological father. If you need help establishing paternity, you can depend on an experienced Jacksonville paternity lawyer at Ellerin Hutchinson to provide you with the dedicated representation you need.

Contact Ellerin Hutchinson today to schedule a consultation with an attorney at the office!

A Florida man whose wife tried to have him killed is now involved in a paternity dispute with a woman he was in a relationship with eleven years ago.

Karen Tanne filed a paternity suit claiming Michael Dippolito is the father of her child. Her suit also claims that Dippolito acknowledged that the child was his when the baby was first born, but then disappeared before he and Tanne even had a chance to name their son. And according to Tanne he has never paid child support.

Dippolito denies that he abandoned the child, but did admit to having a sexual relationship with Tanne around the time she got pregnant.

Tanne is now seeking support from Dippolito and has asked him to get a life insurance policy in her name as the sole beneficiary. For the past 11 years Tanne has been raising the child alone, and even though she has a good job working in online real estate marketing, it’s still a struggle for her sometimes.

In the suit, Tanne’s attorney, Eric Klein, argues that Dippolito has lived a very comfortable and luxurious lifestyle, but has neglected the needs of his child and refused to have a relationship with him. Financial documents disclosed that Dippolito makes around $87,000 a year from his marketing firm.

This is not the first time Tanne has tried to get Dippolito to pay child support. In the late 1990s she filed two paternity suits, but because the courts couldn’t find Dippolito at the time nothing came of them. Tanne was finally able to find Dippolito after the story broke of Dippolito’s now current wife, Dalia, attempt to have him killed.

This time Tanne’s request for a paternity test was successful.  The court ordered Dippolito to take a DNA test, which he did. The results confirmed he is indeed the father of Tanne’s child.

If you are involved in a paternity dispute and need help establishing paternity or disestablishing paternity, a Jacksonville paternity lawyer at Ellerin Hutchinson can provide you with knowledgeable and experienced legal counsel. To arrange a consultation with an attorney at the firm, please call (904) 866-4489 or click here to fill out an online case evaluation.