WomensLaw serves and supports all survivors, no matter their sex or gender.

Legal Information: Pennsylvania

Restraining Orders

View all
Laws current as of October 23, 2024

What can I do if the abuser violates the order?

You may want to call the police if the abuser violates a provision of your order. If the officer has probable cause to believe that the abuser violated the order, the abuser may be arrested.1 It is a crime to knowingly violate a court order, and the judge can punish someone for being in contempt of court. A contempt hearing will be scheduled within 10 days of the abuser being charged or the filing of a complaint.2

For more information about contempt, including the difference between criminal contempt and civil contempt, go to our general Domestic Violence Restraining Orders page.

1 42 Pa.C.S. § 62A12(a)
2 42 Pa.C.S. § 62A12(e)

Legal Information

© 2008–2024 WomensLaw.org is a project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, Inc. All rights reserved. This website is funded in part through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). NNEDV is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; EIN 52-1973408.