The function of the Protection From Abuse (PFA) Office is to assist victims of domestic violence in the preparation and presentation of preliminary protection from abuse petitions and orders, as well as other PFA-related remedies, to the court.

The PFA Office acts as a link between the victim of domestic violence and the court. The PFA Office has pertinent information available to domestic violence victims about the Turning Point Association, the Office of Children and Youth, the Lehigh County Prison Release Notification Program for Victims of Crime and other programs and/or agencies.

PFA preliminary hearings are held at 10:30 A.M. and at 1:30 P.M. A person applying for a preliminary PFA order must check in at the PFA Office at least one hour prior to the court hearing times.

Upon arrival at the PFA Office, the applicant/plaintiff will be asked three questions to determine qualification:

	1.	does the plaintiff reside, work in Lehigh County
	2.	what is the relationship between plaintiff and abuser
	3.	what has the abuser done to warrant a protection order (description of the actual abuse)

If the applicant qualifies as a plaintiff in a PFA action, their will be asked to complete an information sheet that will be used to prepare the petition and court order. Petitions and orders may vary according to the victim's circumstances.

One of the PFA Office staff members will sit with the applicant to compile the petition and court order. When the paperwork is completed, the plaintiff will be asked to read and sign the petition.

The plaintiff will be escorted to the courtroom for a preliminary hearing presided by a judge of the Court of Common Pleas assigned to hear PFA "walk in" petitions for that day. An ex-parte hearing is held. This is a hearing during which only one party is present. The judge will ask the petitioner their name, address and relationship to defendant. The judge will want to hear a succinct description of the abuse. The possible outcomes of a preliminary hearing are as follows:

	1.	The judge may grant the petition as presented.
	2.	He may grant it in part; deny it in part. .
	3.	The judge may deny the petition if he finds the allegations were insufficient, or if another legal remedy is more appropriate.

The PFA Office staff member will process all orders that are granted and will provide the plaintiff with further instructions. The plaintiff will be taken to the Sheriff's Office where they will make arrangements for service of the PFA order on defendant.

The PFA Office staff can answer questions concerning procedures, times and dates of hearing for the litigants. The PFA Office staff can not give legal advice. The PFA Office staff is not trained to counsel victims of abuse.

Other petitions, rules and orders that may be obtained at the PFA Office are:

	1.	Continuance orders for final PFA hearings or indirect criminal contempt hearings.
	2.	Petition, rule and order for extension of an existing PFA order.
	3.	Petition, rule and result form for filing indirect criminal contempt in protection from abuse actions.
	4.	Petition and rule for civil contempt complaints in protection from abuse actions.
	5.	Dismissal orders.
	6.	Amended final orders.
	7.	Rule and order for weapon return.

Other PFA Office Information: