Filiation

Filiation is the legal term^[1] for the recognized legal status of the relationship between family members, or more specifically the legal relationship between parent and child. As described by the Government of Quebec:

Filiation is the relationship which exists between a child and the child’s parents, whether the parents are of the same or the opposite sex. The relationship can be established by blood, by law in certain cases, or by a judgment of adoption. Once filiation has been established, it creates rights and obligations for both the child and the parents, regardless of the circumstances of the child’s birth.^[2]

Filiation differs from, but impacts, both parental rights and inheritance.

An example of law regarding filiation is found in the Civil Code of Quebec, Book 2, Title 2 "Filiation",^[3] which details how filiation may be established, claimed, and transferred.