Battle ahead over children's custody

Washington: The custody arrangements for Michael Jackson's three children are unclear, but lawyers familiar with the case said that they may soon be reunited with the mother of the eldest two, or remain in the care of the late singer's mother, Katherine.

Jackson's family lawyer claimed that the pop star's mother Katherine will be given the custody of the star's three children. The 50 year old is survived by Michael Joseph Jackson. Jr, who he later dubbed Prince, 12, and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11, from his marriage to ex-wife Debbie Rowe, and Michael Jackson II, known as Blanket, seven, who was delivered by an unknown surrogate mother.

But Rowe, who gave up her rights to her two kids after their divorce in 1999, told a friend two days before Jackson's death that she wanted full custody of the youngsters and "was sick of the way Michael was bringing the children up".

The Jackson family, however, remains adamant Rowe won't get back the kids' custody. And in a twist, lawyers predicted that the children stand to inherit a fortune as vast as the one inherited by Athina Onassis and protected from the star's creditors.