Child patent" is an informal name for a continuation patent. Many patent applicants routinely file continuations as a way to augment the claims of the parent. This practice allows the applicant to expand the reach of the parent application and make it a broader, stronger patent. Frequently, in the rush to obtain a priority date, the inventor will not have considered all aspects of the invention that could be claimed. The continuation has the same priority date as the parent. This priority date is very important because it determines when the inventor's legal rights with respect to the invention begin.