Defense You Can Trust When Facing A Protection From Abuse Order (PFA)
If you have been served with a protection from abuse order (PFA), Bauer, Scanlon & Wigginton can assist you. As a strong and trustworthy criminal defense team, we have more than 25 collective years of experience handling cases involving orders of protection. If you live in Media or the surrounding area and face charges of domestic violence that coincide with the PFA, we can defend you from these as well.
Protection Orders: What To Know
In Pennsylvania, a protection from abuse order, or PFA, is a court order prohibiting someone from coming into contact with the petitioner. Judges frequently issue these orders without a hearing in emergency situations. You will have an opportunity to challenge the PFA in a hearing within 10 days. At this hearing, the judge will either:
- Dismiss the temporary protection order
- Extend it for up to three years as a final PFA
Both temporary and final protection orders can have devastating consequences on your family life, particularly your parental rights. If you stand to lose custody of your children, our domestic violence defense lawyers will fight tenaciously for you to keep it.
What Happens If I Violate A PFA?
Although your situation might seem unfair, it is crucial to abide by the terms of the PFA. For example, if you share a residence with the person who filed the protection from abuse order, you might have to move out. As unfair as this seems, do not defy the order. If you violate one or more conditions you may be found in Indirect Criminal Contempt (ICC), which could result in fines and/or a prison sentence. It also greatly increases the likelihood of the PFA being made permanent.
Discuss PFAs With A Lawyer In A Free Consult
You have limited time to act once someone files a petition against you for a protection order. Contact us immediately to learn about your options for defense. We offer free 30-minute consultations; call us at 610-590-5092 or send us an email to schedule yours.