What Happens If My Protection from Abuse Order is Violated?

Being in an abusive relationship is very scary, stressful and difficult. You may have found yourself in an abusive relationship suffering from abuse from your partner, either physically, mentally or emotionally. If you are in an abusive relationship you can and should seek protection from the court. A Protection from Abuse order (PFA) is an order from the court that orders the abuser to have no contact with you. These orders can last anywhere up to 36 months. If you are in an abusive relationship and seek protection, a PFA is a way to get peace of mind that your abuser will stay away from you.

You may be wondering, even if you get a PFA your abuser might not follow it. What happens then? If the person you have a PFA against in any way violates any part of the order they could be found in contempt. You would want to file a contempt complaint with the court. That person would then be ordered to a hearing about the contempt where testimony could be presented regarding the particular contempt violation. The consequences for a contempt violation vary on the seriousness of the violation in particular. Those consequences range from extension of the PFA, fines, and incarceration.  by Meghan Fleming