Fred Thompson's Widow Regrets Estate Fight

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

The widow of the late actor and politician Fred Thompson says she is glad the late U.S. Senator's two eldest sons by a prior marriage have agreed to drop their claims that improper and last minute changes were made in his estate.
Filings in Davidson Probate Court show Fred Thompson Jr. and Dan Thompson agreed to the dismissal of their claims after Jeri Thompson provided documents showing there were no last minute changes.
"Their claims do not and never did have any legal or factual merit," Jeri Thompson's lawyer William Ramsey said in a prepared statement.
"They misread (intentionally or otherwise) descriptions in legal bills that never should have been filed with the court," Ramsey said, adding "Like any other person who has been falsely accused, Mrs. Thompson is relieved that the justice system prevailed to defend her honor and word."
The dispute arose when another Nashville, Tenn. law firm, Waller Lansden, Dortch and Davis filed a claim against the Thompson estate. The claim included detailed information on an effort to put together a new will including the two children born after the one time presidential candidate married Jeri.
Ramsey said Jeri Thompson signed an affidavit stating that only one inconsequential change was made in the week's before Fred Thompson's death on Nov. 1, 2016. Nonetheless the two elder sons pressed their claim and Probate Judge David "Randy" Kennedy issued an order for Jeri Thompson to provide records regarding her late husband's assets and any changes made in the period leading up to his death.
The only change made was an inconsequential one involving the secondary beneficiary on a life insurance policy. Jeri Thompson was the primary beneficiary and had already redeemed the policy by the time the dispute arose, according to court records.
"Mrs. Thompsom regrets deeply the embarrassment done to her late husband's reputation, and the trauma and distress caused by these unfounded allegations," Ramsey concluded.
 Jeri Thompson has disputed the Waller Lansden claim for $14,450, but the matter has not yet been resolved. A hearing on the dispute was postponed at her request.
Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com

Fight Over Fred Thompson Estate Settled

By Walter F. Roche Jr,

A family feud over the estate of the late actor/politician Fred Thompson has apparently been resolved and a complaint filed by his two oldest sons has been dismissed.
Papers filed this week in Davidson Probate Court in Nashville, Tenn. show that the claim against Thompson's widow Jeri Thompson by Fred Thompson Jr and Daniel D. Thompson was dismissed with the agreement of both parties.
The two eldest Thompson's sons filed the claim charging that Jeri Thompson might have made changes in the late senator's estate at a time when he was no longer competent to approve any such changes. The one time presidential candidate died Nov. 1, 2015.
Jeri Thompson responded by stating that the only change was an inconsequential one, involving a secondary beneficiary on a life insurance police that already had been redeemed by the primary beneficiary, Jeri Thompson.
Nonetheless, earlier this year Davidson Probate Judge David "Randy" Kennedy following a Jan. 23 hearing ordered Jeri Thompson to turn over to the two sons by a previous marriage a series of records including ownership records on a Florida property and the late senator's pension benefits from the Screen Actors Guild.
Jeri Thompson was ordered to provide the records, including any recent changes in ownership of his assets, by a Feb. 22 deadline.
The sons' claims followed disclosure that Jeri Thompson, the administrator of her husband's estate, was disputing a claim against the estate filed by a Nashville law firm for work done on Thompson's estate planning in the months before his death.
The billing statements from Waller Lansden Dortch and Davis showed that there was a last minute effort to marshall Thompson's assets, apparently in a scramble to draw up a new will.
The records indicate a new will was never drawn up and the will finally filed was over a decade old and omitted Thompson's two children born after his marriage to Jeri.
The dispute over the Waller firm's $14,450 bill has apparently not been resolved. A scheduled hearing on the issue was canceled at Jeri Thompson's request.

Contact: wfrochejr999@gmail.com