Paternity testing has long been perceived as upsetting, even traumatising or embittering– but as the technology becomes increasingly available in Australia, there may be real benefits to getting tested…

The spate of cases raises questions about the legal rights a child born to an overseas surrogate has in Australia, and what rights Australians who engage in surrogacy agreements have in Thailand and other countries..

However, courts have been slower to order the use of the science in other civil proceedings, for example claims against deceased estates, where testing can determine eligibility within Family Provision Act proceedings…