DEAR ABBY: My son (I'll call him Ned) just turned 40. Recently a 19-year-old boy came forward and announced that he was Ned's son. When Ned told me, I invited the young man to my home for dinner so we could meet.
Ned seems eager to accept this boy as his son, even though the boy's mother has had three other sons by three different men.
The boy looks nothing like anyone in our family (not that this is necessary), but I'd like to have some tests done before I change my will to include a grandchild that may or may not be mine.
Where do we go, and what do we need as proof of blood relationship? And how accurate would a test of that kind be?
Do you agree that I should want proof before leaving an inheritance to a person who has never made contact (nor has his mother) before now? -- STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
DEAR CONFIDENTIAL: It couldn't hurt. But first, your son should consult an attorney who can direct him to laboratories that perform these tests and have the best reputations for accuracy. However, blood tests are not always 100 percent accurate, so it might be wise to repeat the tests at a different laboratory. It will be necessary for both Ned and the young man claiming to be his son to be tested.