Seattle family law attorney Eric Engel of the Engel Law Group was interviewed by KCPQ Channel 13′s Dana Rebik on Tuesday February 7, which aired on the channel’s News at 5 program that same evening. The interview took place just two days after Josh Powell and his two sons were killed by an explosion in his Washington state home. The explosion, believed to be intentional, went off during a home visit supervised by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).

Eric was asked to shed some light on the fact that Josh Powell was allowed to have his children come to visit him at his own home over the weekend, which appears to be abnormal in a child custody case.

“It’s very rare. I haven’t seen it in hardly any of my cases,” said Engel.

Engel said in his experience that when a parent loses custody, supervised visits are almost always at a neutral site like an office, mall or restaurant.

“If you’re going to go from neutral visitation to home visitation, there’s going to be a swing to where one parent is going to get custody back, but given what I know about this case, that wasn’t going to happen at all,” Engel said.

Watch the entire interview and segment at Q13Fox.com

Engel’s skepticism over Powell’s ability to regain custody of his children is based in the unusual circumstances surrounding this case, which have sparked controversy and debate across the nation over the way child custody cases should be handled.

Powell lost custody of his two sons shortly after his father, Stephen Powell, was arrested on charges of child pornography in 2011. Custody of Charlie, 7 and Bradan, 5, was granted to Chuck and Judy Cox, Powell’s parents-in-law. The Coxes had been fighting for custody of the two boys since late 2009, when Josh Powell became the only person of interest in the missing persons case for his wife, Susan Powell. After the Coxes were granted custody, the boys visited their father only through supervised visits coordinated through DSHS.

Sunday, Feb. 5 was the first day that Powell was allowed to visit with his sons at his rental home in Graham, Washington, as the result of a recent court decision. This unusual decision has been the subject of much controversy after the gruesome events of the visit. Seconds after the boys entered Powell’s home, he closed and locked the door, leaving the panicked social worker outside. It was only moments later that Powell allegedly attacked his children with an ax, and blew up his rental home, killing himself and his two boys.

There has been intense media scrutiny of this tragic sequence of events. Police, court officials and lawmakers continue to discuss the case, and its implications for child custody law, both local and national.

In the state of Mississippi, a former doctor is in trouble with the law for failing to pay child support. According to news sources, the former doctor recently pleaded not guilty to federal charges. His criminal offenses allege that he was living as a fugitive and also that he failed to pay thousands of dollars worth of court-ordered child support. The payments were meant to support his two children.

Earlier this month, in an attempt to flee the country, the former doctor tried to enter Mexico. However, he was arrested by U.S. law enforcement.

Back in May 2006, an arrest warrant was issued for the former doctor. In order to avoid prosecution, he tried lived outside of the country for years. This made law enforcement list him as a federal fugitive.

On Tuesday, the former doctor was brought before a judge. He entered a plea of “not guilty”. Following his plea, a trial date was set for February 6, 2012.

If you owe child support, it is best to seek help from a Seattle family law attorney from our firm. By working with a lawyer, you may be able to have your payments modified. To learn more, contact the Engel Law Group today.

Two Hollywood stars have decided to file for divorce. According to news sources, the actress wife and singer husband have been together for just two years.

While the two are hoping to keep their divorce under the radar, the actress’ new TV show has thrust her more firmly into the public eye. As a result, people are curious about why the two well-suited individuals have opted for divorce after just two years of matrimony.

In the divorce papers filed last week in California, she cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their divorce. Her expenses were also detailed in the document, including her income from her band and assets of roughly $3 million. However, with her new sitcom doing so well in the ratings, she is likely to do well financially without her husband. It is uncertain as to whether the two signed a prenuptial agreement.

Considering divorce? Learn more about the process and your options by taking the time to contact the Engel Law Group so you have a chance to speak with a Seattle family lawyer from our legal team.