Fred Thompson’s sons drop lawsuit over his will

The sons of actor and former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson have dropped a lawsuit against their step-mother that contended their inheritance may have been improperly reduced, reports The Tennessean.

Tony and Dan Thompson filed a lawsuit in August, alleging Jeri Thompson influenced their father at the end of his life to make changes in his will and to his beneficiaries. The sons, in a joint statement, said last-minute legal work drew their concern, and they tried to ask privately for answers but were rebuffed. So they went to court.

“When it was brought to our attention that over $40,000 of legal work was done drafting new estate plans and changing beneficiaries while our father was in hospice, we understandably had questions,” the statement says.

The family discord, according to statements and court documents, stems from a bill the law firm Waller filed against Thompson’s estate. Most recently in the case, in February Nashville probate Judge Randy Kennedy ordered Jeri Thompson to turn over documents related to Thompson’s assets and estate planning.

“The discovery documents we saw satisfied us that our father’s final wishes were followed, allowing us to dismiss the lawsuit,” the sons’ statement reads. “We’re ready to move forward and are grateful dad finally has a tombstone and are hopeful the executor will now take care of her remaining obligations so we can all move on.”

…Jeri Thompson’s lawyer called the legal brawl an unfounded embarrassment to the late senator. The sons dismissed their case on March 22, court records show.

“Their claims do not, and never did, have any legal or factual merit,” said Bill Ramsey, Jeri Thompson’s lawyer. “They misread, intentionally or otherwise, descriptions in legal bills that never should have been filed with the court.