legitime

plural legitimes · alternative légitime

1. civil law jurisdictionsA portion of a person's estate of which he cannot disinherit that person's children without a legal cause.

   […] when there is no testament; but this is not to be understood of persons to whom a legitime, or child's part, is due by law.

   1850, The Civil Law in Its Natural Order, volume 1, page 102

   2 more examples

   […] or of renouncing all testamentary advantage, and claiming his legitime only as secured to him by the law independent of the testament. But where the testator bequeaths to the forced heir nothing beyond his legitime, […]

   1892, Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Louisian, page 98

   [W]here a compulsory heir and an heir not entitled to a legitime are institute to the entire state without designation of shares, the legitime should first be paid before the equal sharing is applied. […] Article 983 does not modify the rules on legitimes, the legitimes of LCDs and the surviving spouse (SS) shall always be first satisfied in preference to the illegitimate children and descendants (ICDs).

   2006, Jose C. Vitug, Property, ownership, and its modifications, pages 216 and 302