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.