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Montgomery County prothonotary pitches 'hope card' and online PFA packet to Skippack supervisors
Summary
Prothonotary Noah Marlier presented a pocket 'hope card' and an online PFA packet designed to speed access to civil protection orders and give survivors portable, actionable information; he said the programs reduce courthouse time and reach 30–50 petitioners weekly.
Noah Marlier, Montgomery County prothonotary, told Skippack supervisors that his office has rolled out two efforts to help people obtain protection from abuse (PFA) orders: a pocket 'hope card' that contains key case identifiers and resource contacts for survivors, and an electronic version of the state’s PFA packet that lets petitioners complete the first steps online.
Marlier said his office receives roughly 30–50 PFA petitioners each week and that the pocket card — which includes petitioner and respondent names, the state identification number, and local victim‑service contacts — helps law enforcement retrieve the full order quickly. “This hope card program is a first‑of‑its‑kind in the Commonwealth,” Marlier said, and he added that the online packet eliminates a lengthy courthouse wait for many petitioners.
In questions from supervisors, Marlier explained that PFAs are civil proceedings (typically lasting six months to three years at the judge’s discretion), that a judge weighs the evidence at the final hearing, and that the temporary PFA carries the same powers as the final order until that hearing. He described the online packet as the second county in the Commonwealth to offer a largely electronic submission that cuts the time petitioners spend in court.
Marlier offered to provide the township sample language and literature that supervisors could share with residents and law enforcement to promote the programs. Supervisors welcomed the outreach and asked staff to circulate informational materials to local law enforcement and community partners.
