Preserving your legacy or that of a loved one who has passed is important in ensuring that intended beneficiaries are the recipients of valuable family assets.
More and more, DNA Testing has become an important component of Family Estate Planning, protecting the interests of the estate owner as well as that of the designated inheritance recipients.
There are several important reasons why preserving a DNA Profile is a valuable asset in settling affairs of the deceased:
- Estate Settlements
- Social Security Benefits
- Life Insurance Benefits
- Tribal Enrollment Benefits
- Inheritance to a Previously Unconfirmed Relative
- Addition or Removal of Father’s Name from a Birth Certificate
- Verification of Alleged Relationship to an Individual Issuing a Claim on Deceased’s Estate
DNA Testing can be conducted before or after the passing of the Estate Owner.
In facilitating an Estate Protection DNA Test, GenQuest obtains a DNA profile of the individual whose estate is being passed on, which is preserved for future use to verify relationship of any potential claimant to the estate inheritance.
All DNA Samples must be collected by a Neutral Third Party
Samples taken from Living Participants can be coordinated for collection through GenQuest.
Samples taken post mortem must be obtained by a neutral third party such as a Medical Examiner, Coroner, or Funeral Home Employee. Permission to test the deceased must be granted by next of kin, and must be sent directly to GenQuest to be court admissible.
DNA Sample Preservation
GenQuest DNA Lab will retain a hard copy of the DNA Profile and DNA Report for five years, after which all physical documents will be destroyed, but a digital copy of the profile along with chain of custody will be archived.
Written requests to preserve hard copy documents and Estate Protection DNA samples over a longer period of time may be submitted.
Access to the profile, supporting documents and sample by any authorized party or law enforcement agency will be granted as needed.
An authorized party must consent to allow comparison of the deceased’s profile to that of a new participant.
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