INVERNESS, Fla. -- The children of Ted Williams cannot resolve a stalemate over their father's body, an attorney said Tuesday, setting the stage for a possible court battle.

Bobby-Jo Williams Ferrell "remains convinced that her father's last wishes were to be cremated and to have his ashes spread over the deep waters off the coast of Florida," said Richard Fitzpatrick, an attorney for Ferrell, the Hall of Famer's oldest daughter.

John Henry Williams and Ferrell, his half sister, have been fighting over what to do with their father's remains since he died July 5 at age 83.

John Henry Williams had the body flown to a cryonics lab in Arizona to be frozen, against her wishes.

A lawyer for John Henry Williams said in a statement that he believed family members could still reach an understanding and that the siblings hoped to arrive at a private resolution.

"Everyone in the family is motivated by their love for their father and their grief at his passing,'' said Robert Goldman, the attorney, who also said he was representing John Henry Williams' sister, Claudia Williams.

Cryonics advocates say science might one day be able to thaw a body, cure whatever killed the person and restore life. Most experts say that's highly unlikely.

Ferrell has also speculated that her half brother may want to sell their father's DNA.

On Monday, Ferrell, John Henry Williams and sister Claudia Williams met for hours in discussions that were "civil, candid," Fitzpatrick said.

It was then that Ferrell saw a copy of her father's will for the first time, Fitzpatrick said. A confidentiality agreement prevented him from discussing its contents.

The will was expected to be filed later Tuesday.

Fitzpatrick said the rules of mediation prevented him from giving more details about the negotiations.