If you are wondering , how to find my biological father, we can help. Finding biological fathers is one of the most common search types for us. How to find my biological father is a question we get asked a lot. We suppose the answer is always dependent on what you know about him.
We’d say there are three stages that define the path to take in a find my father search. One is, you know plenty of information but just can’t seem to pin him down. You know a few snippets but don’t know where to start or you know nothing about him at all.
Let’s start with the hardest first for you…
How to find my biological father with no information: There is only one way to solve this and that would be to utilise your DNA. As you have probably seen on ITVs Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace and BBC2s DNA Family Secrets. DNA is becoming vital in solving cases in finding family members with no information at all. Especially fathers!
Here’s a quick overview of how it works. You need to first choose you preferred DNA testing platform. We would suggest Ancestry as it has the biggest database. And also lets you download your RAW DNA Datafile to then upload to other databases (more bang for your buck there).
How to find my biological father with DNA
You can also use 23 and Me, My Heritage, Family Tree DNA and GedMatch to name a few. Once you have taken the test and the results are in then you will match up against other people on the database.
You must then work on eliminating maternal matches first so you can establish which ones are paternal and you can work with. Form here you are most likely looking at distant relatives. Using these matches you will need to work on finding the common ancestor that connects you all. That way you have the starting point in the family history.
You can then work forward to find males within the family tree, branching off from that historical common ancestor to match the rough age range you can place on your father.
Often, we involve finding and contacting other people along the way and ask then to test to help triangulate the results. We have a dedicated DNA researcher that solely works on all of our DNA searches.
Don’t get us wrong, its no easy feat. DNA searches for us to complete can take 6-12 months with experts and a team of genealogists working on this for you.
It’s doable but if you’re going it alone, then be prepared for the long haul. It will be worth it but without expert help, it could be years until you get anywhere.
Check out his article for more information https://relativeconnections.co.uk/how-to-find-my-biological-father-without-information
How to find my biological father with limited information: If you have limited information but don’t know where to start then don’t worry, you have a foot in the door.
If you have a name, rough age and last known whereabout for you father then you will need to start by defining something first. You’re looking for that starting point, that definite point in time where you can say ‘that’s him’ and you know you’re on the right track.
Documentation is the best way to do this.
You can search birth, death and marriage records on Find My Past and Ancestry. You can also find some census and directory details here too. Use the name (including spelling variations). Rough age rage (plus or minus a few years to give you scope), and the are he was from or last associated with and see what you find.
You never know what is out there and what can assist you in your investigations so stick with it.
How to find my biological father with lots of information: Let’s say you have met before and lost contact, maybe a couple of times in the past. You know when was married to your mother and is named on your birth certificate, but you just drifted apart over the years.
Believe it or not, this can be difficult too. There is a lot of red tape now more than ever around accessing peoples personal contact data online.
Information like this is not always readily available to the public as often you are required to seek the persons permission to access their data.
If you have an old address the there are some online electoral rolls like 192.com that could help. But people can opt out of this too so its not always a straightforward as people think.
If you do find your father, then we would always advise to use an intermediary to help you make contact. This is the most important stage of the process. The first approach can make or break the whole thing so give it some serious though and don’t rush into it.
Seek some advice and professional help to give yourself the best chance of success.
If you need any help with any stage of the above, then we have you covered. You can call and speak to us direct on 0113 282 5900 or book a call back with one of our team below. We’d be happy to advise further on anything mentioned in this article or if you have any other questions around the topic of how to find my biological father, so please don’t hesitate to ask.