What do PFA orders affect?

On Behalf of | Jul 28, 2022 | Medical Licensing

When dealing with a domestic violence charge, an individual will likely see its impact on many different areas of his or her life. This can range from the places they are allowed to go, to the housing arrangements available, to the jobs they can legally hold.

For example, if an accused person works in medicine, a Protection from Abuse order could impact their medical license. However, this impact might not take the form that a person expects.

What is a PFA order?

The Pennsylvania Office of Victim Services discusses Protection from Abuse orders. These PFA orders often get enacted by a judge on claims of potential abuse. With a PFA order, a person can longer contact the individual who filed for the order, but it can have many more impacts.

If a judge believes the situation to warrant it, they may even order an ex parte or emergency PFA. This will stay in place as a temporary measure until the date of the final hearing gets set. During this trial, it is possible to present evidence refuting the need for a PFA.

The impact on your license

In terms of whether or not a medical license will undergo an impact, generally speaking, the PFA itself will not impact the license. However, a PFA could potentially trigger an investigation into the possibility of professional misconduct.

Thus, while the PFA itself will not serve as the biggest threat, it could potentially lead to a chain reaction that could end up jeopardizing a person’s license anyway. This is why it is important to take a PFA seriously and work toward collecting the evidence necessary to clear one’s name.