Section 69W — Family Law Act 1975: Orders for carrying out of parentage testing procedures

(1) If the parentage of a child is a question in issue in proceedings under this Act, the court may make an order (a parentage testing order) requiring a parentage testing procedure to be carried out on a person mentioned in subsection (3) for the purpose of obtaining information to assist in determining the parentage of the child. (2) A court may make a parentage testing order: (a) on its own initiative; or (b) on the application of: (i) a party to the proceedings; or (ii) an independent children’s lawyer representing the child’s interests under an order made under section 68L. (3) A parentage testing order may be made in relation to: (a) the child; or (b) a person known to be the mother of the child; or (c) any other person, if the court is of the opinion that, if the parentage testing procedure were to be carried out in relation to the person, the information that could be obtained might assist in determining the parentage of the child. (4) A parentage testing order may be made subject to terms and conditions. (5) This section does not affect the generality of section 69V.