West Chester PA PFA Lawyer: Protect Your Rights Today

As a skilled West Chester PA PFA Lawyer, Benari Law will help protect your rights when someone has a Protection From Abuse Order (PFA) filed against you. A PFA is like a restraining order, which means you can not have any contact at all with the other party, but the limitations are more severe and the penalties for a violation are much worse. Unfortunately, it’s quite easy for a party to get a PFA granted and, although they’re intended to be used by people who are abused or in danger of being abused, they are often used out of spite, revenge, malice, or as a strategy in divorce or custody situations.

How Does a Protection From Abuse Order Affect Me?

If someone has had a Protection from Abuse Order against you, you are not permitted to contact them in any way, directly or indirectly, meaning even contact through a third party or through social media is prohibited. You can not see them in person, call, email, or text them for any reason. While this is often necessary for people who are in danger of being harmed, it has the high potential to be abused because the alleged victim does not have to prove they’re in danger or that they have been hurt, and the courts have the tendency to err on the side of caution. This suggests that it’s entirely possible for an angry or jealous spouse or former significant other to make a claim and bar an individual from entering his own home or keep them from seeing their children. Firearms may also be completely confiscated without reimbursement and those accused of causing harm often spend time behind bars if they are unrepresented or represented by a lawyer who isn’t intimately familiar with the system.

What Happens if I Violate a Protection From Abuse Order?

Remember, very little evidence is required to prove that an order has been violated. In some cases, an individual’s word may be taken that the order was violated, and even sending a text message to arrange visits with children, regardless of the tone of those messages, is considered violating the order. This is considered contempt of court and may lead to as much as six months in prison and a fine of up to $1,000.

How Can a West Chester PA PFA Lawyer Help Me?

A Protection From Abuse Order is generally drawn up on an emergency basis at first, with a hearing to determine if it should be made long-term. If it becomes permanent, it can last as much as 3 years. It’s vital to have an experienced attorney representing you at the hearing because many things may be decided by the judge then and there, including who has rights to a marital home, and how custody/ parenting time and child support will be handled for the immediate future if the case involves a family. The judge can also remove your rights to own a firearm. If an emergency Protection From Abuse Order has been drawn up against you, you’ll normally be assigned a court date within ten days. The earlier you retain an attorney, the more time the firm will have to prepare for your hearing, and the possibility that you’ll have a positive resolution will increase.

Retain a West Chester PA PFA Lawyer Today

We manage Protection From Abuse Order cases by themselves, as well as alongside domestic violence charges, and understand that both types of allegations are often false. We’ll listen closely to your recount of events and will offer you options on how to best overcome the obstacles you face, as well as what outcomes we expect from each possible avenue. To speak with an experienced West Chester PA PFA lawyer for a free case evaluation, call 610-566-1006 now.