• Court Approved Testing - A step-by-step guide
• How are the samples taken?
• How long does the test take?
• How much does it cost?
• Ethical practice
• Peace of Mind Testing - A Step-by-Step Guide

Court Approved Testing - A step-by-step guide

1. Register with NorthGene

You can register online, by calling our Customer Support Team on 0844 800 6951 or 0191 233 1414 or you can ask your solicitor, health professional (i.e. doctor) or social worker to register on your behalf.  If you are not legally aided we require a deposit of £99 upon registration.  If the case is legally aided an invoice will be issued to all legal representatives.

2. Find a DNA sampler

Samples can be taken by appointment in our clinic at the International Centre for Life in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Alternatively, your sample can be taken by a GP/Practice Nurse in your area. Please contact your doctor prior to registration to make sure that he or she will be happy to take a sample from you. If your own medical practice does not offer this service we can provide you with a list of samplers in your area.

3. Arrange a DNA sampling appointment

Make an appointment with your chosen sampler. Please note that the sampler will charge for this service and it will be your responsibility to pay this fee.  Please verify the cost when making your appointment.

4. Advise our Customer Support Team of your appointment

You can contact us on 0844 800 6951 or 0191 233 1414 or at info@paternitytesting.co.uk. We will need to know the date of your appointment and the address of the sampler where your samples will be taken. Please ensure that we are given at least 5 working days notice of any appointments made so that the necessary sampling kits can be sent out in time.

5. Sampling Kits Dispatched

All sampling kits are issued by first class post. Please contact your sampler two days prior to your appointment to ensure safe receipt.

6. Sample(s) taken

You will need to take two recent, passport-type photographs and some form of identification to your appointment. On arrival you will be asked to sign a consent form and stain card to say that you are happy for a DNA sample to be taken and a test to be run. In the case of children under the age of 16, their mother must sign the consent form on their behalf.

The DNA sampler will verify the photographs that you have provided and attach them to the Identification Form. The DNA sample will then be taken. All samples are taken by mouth swab. The sampler will rub a sterile, cotton bud on the inside of your mouth and transfer the collected cells to the stain card. Each disc of the stain card should turn white. The sample(s) will be returned to us in a tamper-evident bag by the sampler.

7. Test undertaken

Once all samples have been received we require the second instalment of our invoice.  Upon receipt the samples will be sent to our lab at LGC Ltd. who will proceed with DNA testing. Processing time depends upon the type of test being undertaken.  The final instalment will be due when the report is ready.

8. Report Issued

In all cases we aim to issue the results report to you as soon as is possible.  In legal cases a copy will also be sent to your solicitor.

How long does the test take?
Once all samples have been received by our labs at LGC Teddington processing time depends on the type of case and test being undertaken.

Please note that these processing times are estimates and that we cannot guarantee that your report will be available within this time frame. This is because of the unpredictable nature of the scientific process involved.

For example, occasionally it may be necessary to run a part of the scientific process again, in which case clients may need to wait a little longer to receive their reports.

During the process you can access our online tracking system or contact our Customer Support Team to find out how your case is progressing.

Our team always makes every effort to ensure that results are sent out to clients as soon as they are available.