HIRO CLINIC DNA Prenatal Parentage Testing | Comparison of Child Support and Testing Costs

Summary of this article

This article compares the cost of raising one child (approximately 15-30 million yen) with the cost of a paternity test (tens of thousands of yen to 150,000 yen).The cost of raising a child includes daily living expenses and educational expenses, and the burden continues over 18 years.On the other hand, a paternity test is completed once and costs less than 0.1% of total child care, making it very low-cost, but it plays an important role in influencing legal decisions and parental rights.

The cost of raising one child depends on many factors, but overall, the total cost of raising a child ranges from about 15 million yen to What is the total cost of raising a child?

The cost of raising one child varies greatly depending on the family’s income, region, and educational policy. A typical estimate in Japan is approximately 15 to 30 million yen, but this amount includes basic living and educational expenses. Of course, these expenses are only average. For example, the total amount will vary greatly depending on lessons, special medical expenses, and even whether or not the child goes to private school.

This article will provide a comparison to the cost of a paternity test, along with a breakdown of specific costs. It is important to understand that a paternity test is a one-time cost, while child support is a long-term burden that spans over 18 years, and it is important to understand both.

More about the cost of raising a child

1. Cost of living

Daily living expenses refer to the day-to-day costs of feeding, clothing, childcare supplies, housing, and health care for the child. As the child grows, these expenses increase. For example, diapers, baby food, and a child’s bed are necessary during the baby years, but as the child grows, food costs increase and new school supplies and uniforms are needed.

Food: As children grow, food expenses increase. This can have a significant impact on the family budget, especially during adolescence, when appetites increase.
Clothing: Children grow quickly and require frequent clothing changes. In particular, uniforms and sportswear required for school and club activities are included in the cost.
Housing Costs: As children grow, the entire family may need to move to a larger residence. The possibility of increased rent or mortgage obligations must also be considered.
Health care and medical expenses: Routine physicals and immunizations are required, as well as medical care in the event of illness or injury. In particular, there may be additional costs for pediatric and dental visits, as well as for corrective vision and braces as the child grows.

In Japan, daily living expenses for one child are said to be approximately 500,000-1,000,000 yen per year. If this is calculated for the period from age 0 to 18, the total is approximately 10 to 18 million yen.

2. Education costs

The cost of education varies greatly depending on the school a child attends and the institution he or she wishes to attend. It is also greatly affected by whether the child will attend public or private schools and whether he/she wishes to go on to college.

Public School Expenses: When attending a public school, tuition is basically free, so costs are mainly for school lunches, educational materials, club activities, field trips, and school excursions. The cost of education from elementary school to high school is estimated to be about 5 million yen.
Private School Expenses: Private school tuition is expensive, so the cost of sending a child to private school increases significantly. A student attending from elementary school through high school may spend between 15 and 20 million yen. In addition, private schools are often more expensive than public schools in terms of uniforms and educational materials, which can further increase annual expenses.
College Expenses: The cost of attending college also varies greatly between public and private institutions. Public universities may cost 500,000-1,000,000 yen per year, while private universities may cost 1,000,000-2,000,000 yen or more per year. In particular, when entering private medical, dental, or pharmaceutical schools, tuition fees are extremely high, and it is not unusual for the total cost to exceed 10 million yen.
Expenses for cram schools and lessons: In recent years, education has become a hot topic in Japan, and more and more families are sending their children to cram schools and lessons. The cost of cram school can run into the hundreds of thousands of yen per year, and spending increases even more, especially during the period leading up to junior high and high school entrance exams. In addition to this, piano, sports, and other lessons also require several tens of thousands to several hundred thousand yen per year.

3. Other expenses

Other expenses related to child care include children’s hobbies, leisure activities, and travel. In particular, family vacations and visits to theme parks are often planned for the enjoyment of the entire family, which can have an impact on annual expenditures.

Hobbies and Leisure Expenses: Hobbies and leisure expenses vary depending on the age of the children and the family’s policies. For example, families that travel regularly as a family will have higher expenses for this.
Transportation and Communication Expenses: As children grow up, transportation to and from school and communication expenses for smartphones are additional expense items. Especially for junior high and high school students, transportation costs typically run into the tens of thousands of yen per year.

Comparison with the cost of a paternity test

As we have mentioned, it costs approximately 15-30 million yen to raise a single child. In contrast, the cost of a paternity test is a one-time cost and very low. The cost of a paternity test is as follows

Private appraisal: Approx. 30,000-60,000 yen
Legal appraisal: Approx. 100,000-150,000 yen

There is no long-term cost burden because only a single evaluation is required. Comparing this to the cost of child care, the cost of a paternity evaluation represents less than 0.1% of the total cost.

Importance and long-term impact of paternity tests

Although a paternity test is completed once, the results are important and have a significant impact on legal proceedings, custody issues, and even child support payments. In particular, establishing the parent-child relationship can avoid future problems and create a foundation for appropriate support for the child.

Even though the cost of a paternity test is small, it is extremely valuable in preventing future legal problems. Therefore, conducting a paternity test is one of the most important decisions you can make for your child’s future.

Conclusion.

Raising one child can prove to be a significant expense. Daily living expenses, educational costs, and other expenses require systematic financial management to raise a child. In contrast, a paternity test is a one-time expense and is very low-cost compared to the overall cost of raising a child. However, the results are very important in determining custody and child support payments and should be carefully considered.

While education and living expenses increase as children grow up, it is important to take a long-term view because one-time expenses such as a paternity test can have a significant impact on a family’s future depending on the outcome of the test.