When determining how long a Protection From Abuse order will last in Pennsylvania, you need to distinguish between a Temporary PFA order and a Final PFA order. A temporary order will last until the next court date in most instances. If the case is not resolved at that time, the court would often continue the Temporary PFA order until the next court date.
With regards to a Final PFA order, once a Final Order is issued, whether it's issued by agreement, without admission, or after a hearing, and a judge finds that the defendant committed the abuse and issues the finding of abuse and issues the Final PFA order, the order can last for up to three years. In many instances, the court will issue the Final PFA for three years. It can be less; it could be for two years, it could be for one year.
Whatever the length of the Final PFA order is, the plaintiff can petition the court close in time to the expiration of the order to request that the Final Order be continued beyond its original expiration date. In other words, if it were initially an order for three years, the plaintiff can try to get it to go further or beyond three years at that later point in time. Having an experienced PFA attorney in your corner will be able to help you best understand and navigate the process, and they should be involved in as early as possible in the case.
