Served With a PFA While Still Living With Your Ex: Can You Be Forced Out of Your Own Home in PA?

October 29, 2026

In Pennsylvania, a judge can order you to leave your home if you’re under a Protection From Abuse order, even if that order is temporary. That applies even if you co-own the home, although you’ll be allowed to respond in a hearing scheduled within 10 business days of the filing.

If your ex files a Protection From Abuse (PFA) petition in Pennsylvania, a judge may order you to leave. It doesn’t matter whether your name is on the deed alongside your ex’s. Once you’re served, a temporary order can require you to leave your home immediately. You may not have seen this coming, but it’s important to know that you still have rights.

The LLF Law Firm Family Law Team represents Pennsylvania residents who’ve been served with a PFA petition, including those who are separating. We understand the effect these petitions have on your housing, child custody, and divorce. Give us a call at 888-535-3686 or fill out our contact form to get help with your PFA defense.

Can the Courts Evict Me from a Home I Own?

When a PFA is in place, 23 Pa.C.S. § 6108(a)(2) allows the court to award possession of a home to the petitioner and evict the other party. This can happen through a temporary order before you have a chance to respond. You’ll be able to state your case at a final hearing scheduled within 10 business days of the filing.

Pennsylvania judges are hesitant to award exclusive possession of a co-owned home in divorce cases, but a PFA can accomplish it within days. For that reason, we’ll often look closely at the timing of the order before your final hearing, particularly if it happened mid-separation.

What Should You Do in the First 24 Hours?

If you’ve been told to vacate your home, take these steps immediately.

  • Follow the order: Leave the home right away, even if you disagree with the judge’s decision.
  • Cut off all contact: Don’t call, email, text, or go near the other party unless the order specifically allows it. Any contact can lead to a charge of indirect criminal contempt, which comes with possible jail time.
  • Surrender all firearms: Turn over all weapons and ammunition to the authority mentioned in the order.
  • Preserve evidence: Safeguard any documentation that supports your case and write down a timeline while your memory is fresh.
  • Don’t sign a consent agreement: Talk to our team before signing. Under 23 Pa.C.S. § 6108(d), courts can block you from your home for up to three years, even if you admit nothing.

What Happens to Your House and Belongings?

A court order requiring you to leave your home doesn’t eliminate your stake in the property. All ownership questions will be resolved during the divorce or a separate property action. While you’re living elsewhere, you may still have to pay mortgage payments, so be sure to save proof that you made them.

As for your belongings, the court will usually allow you to retrieve personal items. Make a priority-ordered list, including medications and financial records, and follow the terms of your order.

Don’t Let a PFA Become a Three-Year Lockout

A final PFA can remain in place for up to three years. During that time, you could be barred from your home, lose leverage in divorce proceedings, and see reduced access to your children. Your final PFA hearing is the best chance to prevent that.

The LLF Law Firm can help you prepare for that final hearing. Contact us at 888-535-3686 or complete our contact form to fight a PFA petition that could lock you out of your home.

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