"Please avoid introducing classic flamewar topics unless you have something genuinely new to say about them."

Your off-topic comment overwhelmed and ruined the thread, and provoked users to flag a fine story about medieval and 18th century history.

Please don't post things like this. Their awful effect is predictable.

In germany every child, mother and father has the right to get a paternity test. If any party refuses to give his/her consent to a paternity test you have to get a court order and that will replace the missing consent. It is illegal to get a paternity test, when one of the parties doesn't consent and you don't get a court order. The order is just a formality, very cheap and you don't need a laywer. This formality exists, because in germany it is generally forbidden to get a genetic fingerprint of a person without his/her consent. Edit: In Germany a father has to accept fatherhood. If the mother denies a paternity test, he is not liable for child support. A court will usually order a paternity test if a father refuses to accept fatherhodd or the mother denies a paternity test.

So if you are in doubt - the only thing you have to do is claim that you doubt and the full support of the state will be with you.

The US is similar: although there are kits you can buy off the shelf the results are for personal knowledge only and can't be used in legal proceedings. If you want to use a paternity test in court you need a court ordered paternity test from an accredited lab.