What is financial abuse?
Financial abuse is a form of family violence1 where someone uses money or financial decisions to control you or limit your independence. If someone is withholding money, controlling household spending, or excluding you from financial decisions, you might be experiencing financial abuse.
“When we got married, I had some savings, a job, and a car. The marriage is over, and I’ve got nothing.”
“He controlled all the money. I had to account for every cent I spent.”
If any of this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Financial abuse is never your fault, and help is available.
Who can experience financial abuse?
Financial abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of income, age, background, gender or ability. It can happen at any stage of a relationship, including after separation or divorce.
It can occur in intimate relationships, but also between parents and children, relatives, or in other family-like relationships such as with carers or housemates.
While anyone can experience financial abuse, most family violence is perpetrated by men against women. Some people may face a higher risk of financial abuse because of gender, social and economic inequalities. This can include women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and gender-diverse people.
What are the signs of financial abuse?
Financial abuse can look different in different relationships. You might recognise some of these warning signs:
Controlling your money
- Taking control of household income and spending
- Forcing you to claim benefits, take loans, or work unpaid
- Selling possessions, misusing Power of Attorney, or changing a Will without consent
Preventing you from earning money
- Stopping you from working or studying
- Harassing you at work or affecting your job performance
Limiting your access to money
- Denying access to bank accounts or basic expenses
- Accumulating debt in your name
- Withholding support or gambling away shared funds
What is ‘relationship debt’?
Financial abuse can sometimes leave you with debts that are referred to as ‘relationship debt’ or ‘sexually transmitted debt’. These debts are common and serious. They can happen when debts are taken out in your name, or when you are left legally responsible for a partner’s or ex-partner’s debts. You may not have fully understood what you were signing, or you may have felt pressured or had no real choice.
If your name is on a contract, you may still be legally responsible for the debt — even if you did not benefit from it. In some situations, debts can be challenged, reduced, waived or transferred to the person who created them. Getting support early can help you understand your options.
Common ways money or assets may be hidden
- Using trusts or children’s accounts you can’t access
- Misusing joint Self-Managed Super Funds
- Withdrawing funds via mortgage redraws
- Declaring bankruptcy to avoid payments
- Delaying income (e.g. bonuses) until after settlement
- Reducing visible assets by:
– “Lending” money to friends
– Overpaying debts (credit cards, tax)
– Buying resellable luxury items
- Hoarding cash
- Hiding income/assets to reduce or avoid child support
Other ways financial abuse may continue
- Manipulating mediators or legal processes
- Misusing Centrelink or child support systems
- Forcing costly life changes (e.g. moving, job loss)
- Delaying legal proceedings to increase your costs
- Offering to stop abuse in exchange for reduced claims
Child support and financial abuse
Financial abuse can sometimes continue after separation through the child support system. Some parents report that former partners avoid or minimise child support payments, including refusing to contribute to everyday expenses such as school fees or healthcare. In some cases, people may reduce the income they report through for example, falsifying tax returns, working cash-in-hand jobs, or using salary sacrificing arrangements.
When child support is unpaid or reduced, it can create significant financial pressure for the parent responsible for day-to-day care of children.
Getting Support
It can take time to recognise financial abuse. You might know something feels wrong, but not have a name for it. You may start to question things when you receive an unexpected bill, discover hidden debts, or realise you’ve been excluded from financial decisions. You might feel betrayed, confused, or unsure about what to do. If any of this sounds familiar, you don’t have to work it out alone. Support is available.
Our trained support workers can talk through what’s happening and help you understand your options, at your pace.
You can call WIRE on 1300 134 130, start a web chat, or book an appointment.
Emergency Support
| Emergency Services | Call 000 if you or someone is in immediate danger |
Legal Support
WIRE recognises that women and gender diverse people can face barriers to accessing legal support and can help connect you with trusted services that understand family violence.
| Nicholes Law | Website: https://nicholeslaw.com.au/ Phone: 03 9670 4122 |
| Victoria Legal Aid | Website: https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/ Phone: 1300 792 387 |
Family & Violence Support
| WIRE | Website: https://www.wire.org.au/ Phone: 1300 134 130 |
| The Orange Door (Family violence & child support) | Website: https://www.orangedoor.vic.gov.au/ |
| Family Relationship Advice Line (Help with relationships & separation) | Website: https://www.familyrelationships.gov.au/talk-someone/advice-line Phone: 1800 050 321 |
| 1800RESPECT (24/7 family violence counselling) | Website: https://1800respect.org.au/ Phone: 1800 737 732 |
| SafeSteps Family Violence Response Centre (Vic) | Website: https://safesteps.org.au/our-services/ Phone: 1800 015 188 |
| Raising Children Network (Parenting strategies, behaviour tips, and relationship resources) | Website: https://raisingchildren.net.au/ |
| The Line (Resources for young people and parents around respectful relationships and changing harmful behaviour) | Website: https://www.theline.org.au/ |
| Kids Helpline | Website: https://kidshelpline.com.au/ Phone: 1800 55 1800 |
| Victorian Sexual Assault Crisis Line | Phone: 1800 806 292 (after hours) / 03 8345 3494 (police/emergency) |
| CASA (Centre Against Sexual Assault) | Website: https://www.casahouse.com.au/contact-us Phone: 1800 806 292 |
| Victims of Crime Helpline (Vic) | Phone: 1800 819 817 |
Online Support
| eSafety Commissioner (Help with cyberstalking, image-based abuse, and online safety) | Website: esafety.gov.au |
| Wesnet (Provides free smartphone and tech safety training to women experiencing violence) | Website: https://wesnet.org.au/ Phone: 1800 937 638 |
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Support
| Yarning Safe’N’Strong Helpline (24/7 cultural wellbeing support) | Website: https://www.vahs.org.au/yarning-safenstrong/ Phone: 1800 959 563 (24/7) |
| 13YARN (Crisis support for mob) | Website: https://www.13yarn.org.au/ Phone: 13 92 76 (24/7) |
| Djirra (Support for Aboriginal women) | Website: https://djirra.org.au/ Phone: 1800 105 303 |
LGBTQIA+ Support
| QLife (LGBTQIA+ peer counselling) | Website: https://qlife.org.au/ Phone: 1800 184 527 |
Mental Health Support
| Australian Psychological Society (Find a registered psychologist) | Website: https://psychology.org.au/ Phone: 03 8662 3300 |
| Lifeline (24/7 crisis counselling) | Website: https://www.lifeline.org.au/ Phone: 13 11 14 (24/7) |
| Beyond Blue (Support for anxiety & depression) | Website: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ Phone: 1300 22 4636 |
| Better Place Australia (Counselling & family support) | Website: https://www.betterplaceaustralia.com.au/ Phone: 1800 639 523 |
Multicultural & Migration Support
| InTouch (Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence) | Website: https://intouch.org.au/ Phone: 1800 755 988 |
| My Blue Sky (Forced Marriage & Migration Exploitation) | Website: https://mybluesky.org.au/ Phone: 02 9514 8115 |
| Immigration Advice & Rights Centre | Website: https://iarc.org.au/ Phone: 02 8234 0700 |
| Australian Red Cross (Support for Trafficked People Program) | Website: https://www.redcross.org.au/migration/support-for-people-impacted-by-modern-slavery/ Phone: 03 9345 1800 |
| Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights | Website: https://amwchr.org.au/ Phone: 03 9481 3000 |
Financial Support
| Financial Independence Hub | Website: https://goodshep.org.au/services/fih/ Phone: 1300 050 150 |
| National Debt Helpline | Website: https://ndh.org.au/ Phone: 1800 007 007 |
| Centrelink Financial Information Service Officers | Website: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/financial-information-service-officers?context=21836 Phone: 132 300 |
Elder Support
| National Elder Abuse Helpline | Phone: 1800 353 374 |
Referencing
1) Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic) – https://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/in-force/acts/family-violence-protection-act-2008/067