Hotchpot Definition: The mixing of property for the purposing of effecting a proportionate division. Thomas Littleton described hotchpot as follows: "It seemeth that this word hotchpot is in English a pudding; for in this pudding is not commonly put one thing alone, but one thing with other things together." A necessary mixing of property in an estate in order to effect an equal or proportionate division. Putting assets into a hotchpot might be necessary where a beneficiary may need to compensate for property or a loan advanced to him by the testator while the testator was still alive. A hotchpot clause addresses this possibility and either requires the beneficiary to account and compensate other beneficiaries by the value of his advancement before distribution of the estate occurs or, to prevent hotchpotting, a testator may provide: "No gift of money or property made by me and no obligation entered into by me to or for the benefit of Lloyd Duhaime is to adeem any gift to him in this Will nor is it to be compensated for by way of hotchpot." Categories & Topics: Trusts, Wills, Estates and Probate Law Dictionary Find you are constantly looking up definitions? Try our search provider (works in most modern browsers) If you find an error or omission in Duhaime's Legal Dictionary, or if you have legal term suggestion, we'd love to hear from you!