Each year SES (Support Enforcement Services) receives approximately 18,000 to 20,000 new cases in which paternity is an issue. Under Louisiana law, a father of an illegitimate child is not responsible for child support payments until paternity has been established. Louisiana law allows paternity to be established by a court or by having the father sign an affidavit acknowledging that he is the father of the child. Many of the paternity establishments that are obtained by SES each year come through the acknowledgment process. Under State law, hospital personnel are required to provide the parents of illegitimate children the opportunity to sign an acknowledgment of paternity form in the hospital at the time of the child's birth. If an alleged father refuses to sign an acknowledgment of paternity, SES attorneys or contract District Attorneys may file a paternity suit asking the court to determine paternity.

Prior to signing an acknowledgment of paternity, an alleged father may request a genetic test to determine if he is the biological father of the child. Cost of a paternity test for all three parties is approximately $210.00. SES has contracts with two laboratories for genetic testing purposes. The contracts require the labs to either exclude the alleged father, or return a probability of paternity of 99.9%. This is the highest probability requirement in the nation and provides for a higher accuracy rate in determining paternity. Before an alleged father signs an acknowledgment of paternity, he is strongly encouraged to request a blood test to establish beyond question that he is the biological father of the child.

-- Louisiana Support Enforcement Services