Last year, a Twin Cities entrepreneur lost his life in a tragic airplane accident. His family has grieved their loss since the incident. Now, one of the kids the Minnesota business man parented is the subject of an emotional and complex legal battle for child custody between the man's ex-wife and widow. The man's wife claims that his ex-wife, the boy's biological mother, is not fit for parenting.

The Minnesota man and his wife raised several children together, including his ex-wife's son from her previous marriage. Though the boy was unrelated to the man, he was getting along well with his half-siblings. Now that the man has passed away, the two women are fighting over who should be granted custody of the boy.

Apparently, the ex-wife has demonstrated mental instability, which is why custody has been granted to the man's widow during the course of the trial. Because of the traumatic nature of the man's death, the widow indicates that she is looking out for the well-being of the young boy. Furthermore, the boy's biological father has given the widow permission to raise the boy. Though the Minnesota businessman was not his biological father, the young boy considered the man to be a parent.

This particular case has a lot of complexities to consider, so it's definitely not clear cut. Although the woman currently taking care of the boy is not his biological mother, she contends that she is more fit to be a parent than his biological mother.

This case raises important, but difficult, questions. Child custody arrangements are designed to ensure that a child's needs are met. Child custody battles are always emotionally tolling, so the goal of this particular case should be to find a solution balances the welfare of the boy and the desires of the parents seeking custody.

Source: Star Tribune, "Mpls. custody fight pits women who grieved over Wyo. plane crash," Abby Simons, Feb. 6, 2012