My wife got an order for protection against me after a bad argument 10 months ago. It was written up so I can see my daughter with her permission, but she had full legal custody. We went back to living together, but she refused to drop the ofp unless I signed over custody of my daughter. I refused and we went on with life. We split up again and are going to get divorced and she keeps telling me that she will drop the ofp if I sign over permanent custody. She is using it to manipulate me using my child. I have the forms to ask to have it dropped but I don’t know what reason to put why it should be dropped without admitting I violated the ofp. I am in a bad spot and she is using it to try to control me and my access to my daughter. I don’t know what to do.
I don't understand why you two would think that she can at her whim "drop" a court order, or that a family court would be bound by anything signed, but this is what I would have you do or try. First you should get the divorce in motion and quickly, then:
Considering that she is likely to be awarded full custody regardless. (There is no such thing as a parent being awarded "
permanent" custody - not in the perpetual sense of the word.)
Why don't you tell her that you will not resist her effort to have custody awarded to her on the condition that she will not object to your being granted liberal visitation; that she will not interfere with your exercising visitation; and that she will join with you in asking the court to remove the protection order.
If worse comes to worse, remind her that your hole card is her attempt to use the protection order as an instrument of extortion. And that any violation of that order has been mutual.