The term “natural children” has opposing definitions in the legal context, referring to children born to unmarried parents or as the opposite of adopted. Inheritance rights have been determined based on family location. Discrimination against illegitimate children has decreased, but some laws still grant fewer inheritance rights to them.
The term natural children has several opposing definitions in the legal context. It was widely used in common parlance as a more formal and less offensive term than “bastard” or other labels such as “illegitimate.” He often referred to someone born to unmarried parents. Conversely, the term natural can be used as the opposite of adopted and be synonymous with words such as organic. Any children born to a person could be their natural children, regardless of the parental status of the parents. From a legal point of view, both definitions could be argued in family or adoption law, and there are different ways in which laws have been constructed to determine inheritance rights based on family location.
The rule of law has certainly been the destination of dispensation from the fate of many natural children. In the past, many cultures attached a significant amount of shame to having children outside the marital state. This doesn’t mean it was a rare occurrence, but it did mean that many people either tried to hide these children from view or made choices to give them up. Jurisdictions have made decisions about how to legally deliver natural children, and the laws of various regions have also dictated the responsibilities of birth parents to children, which could range from no legal liability to significant financial and assistance demands.
In many modern societies, these distinctions and the related moral judgments imposed on the origin of natural children have largely been removed. The courts still determine how to proceed with adoptions, but a child born in or out of wedlock is often the legal responsibility of both parents. Virtually all counties give parents the right to waive this responsibility if they choose. The idea of using “natural children” as a euphemism for illegitimate children is definitely outdated, although some language in legal proceedings may still use it.
Even the description of illegitimacy is no longer used due to its potential negative and discriminatory stain. Countries with strong civil rights platforms have expended significant effort to create laws that are not discriminatory against children based on their birth circumstances. On the other hand, courts may still use the term to express the biological relationship between parents and children. This is necessary as family structures become more convoluted and involve stepparents, adoptive families, foster families, or others.
In the past, one of the most discriminatory positions in many legal codes was that illegitimate children had fewer inheritance rights than their “legitimate” siblings. Laws started to change in regards to the early 20th century, but some rights are still only granted to legitimate heirs, even in very modern countries. At present, an illegitimate heir to Queen Elizabeth II would have less right to assume the throne than most legitimate heirs.
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