Philadelphia VIOLATION OF PROTECTION FROM ABUSE ORDER Lawyers

A Protection from Abuse Order (PFA) is an order given by the court in domestic abuse cases which orders the abuser to leave the home and refrain from contact with the victim of the abuse for up to 18 months.

Violating a PFA carries penalties such as:

• Arrest – The police may arrest the abuser for violation of the PFA without having to have witnessed the abuse.
• Criminal Contempt of Court – If found guilty of violation of the PFA the abuser faces fines ranging from $300 to $1000 and up to 6 months in jail
• The actual offenses committed by the abuser during the act which violated the PFA, such as harassment, stalking, simple assault and more.

A violation of a PFA in which a criminal contempt hearing is pending will extend the time frame of the PFA until the end of the criminal hearing or longer. Even without a violation a PFA order can be extended through filing with the court if the abuser committed one or more acts of abuse while during the term of the PFA or behaved ways that demonstrate a continued risk of harm. There is no limit on the number of extensions of a PFA that may be granted.