A portion of his personal estate which a father cannot by will leave away from his children. Where he leaves a widow, the legitim is one-third of the personal estate ; where he does not leave a widow, it is one-half. It is divided equally among the children alive at the father's death, excluding the heir-at-law, unless he choose to collate, i.e., bring the real estate into hotchpot.

Source: Kinnear, Digest of House of Lords cases (1865), pg. 357.