Financial abuse: a guide for public practitioners
CPA Australia is proud to have partnered with Each© in the development of these resources
This content is designed for accountants in public practice in Australia or New Zealand. We have attempted to reference resources across the two countries, but comparable resources are not always available in both jurisdictions. Members in other jurisdictions need to consider their local laws and obligations.
What is financial abuse?
Financial abuse is an insidious form of family violence affecting vulnerable people across all contexts, from older people facing exploitation by family members to individuals trapped in business structures they didn’t consent to or don’t fully understand. The consequences can be severe and often irreversible, including homelessness, poverty, bankruptcy, loss of life’s work and savings, and deteriorating mental and physical health. It is incumbent upon society to disrupt and prevent financial abuse wherever possible.
As business structures become more complex and electronic transactions proliferate, preventing and responding to financial abuse has become more critical.
Accountants are uniquely placed to assist with this prevention as their position as trusted advisor gives them insights that others in society may not have. In complying with the accounting professional and ethical standards, accountants will have robust procedures and quality management systems that can help them recognise indicators of financial abuse and respond appropriately. However, financial abuse can be complex, distressing and difficult to detect. Even if the accountant is the most diligent, cases of financial abuse will still go undetected. As such, it is not the intention of this guidance to place an obligation on practitioners to investigate or prove financial abuse.
Primary Consideration
The safety and wellbeing of the victim-survivor is paramount and must always be your number one consideration when considering how to address cases of financial abuse. It is imperative that your actions, no matter how well intended, do not place the victim-survivor at greater risk. Please bear this in mind when reading this guidance.
How can you recognise financial abuse?
Financial abuse takes many forms and is often disguised within what appear to be normal family arrangements or business practices. Perpetrators frequently exploit this ambiguity, making concerns difficult to identify early.
The main challenge for public practitioners is exercising a duty of care while assessing whether practices reflect healthy or coercive dynamics and doing so in a way that respects client autonomy. Family and business relationships can mask power imbalances, and people experiencing abuse may appear compliant, confused, or unaware of the financial arrangements made in their name.
By itself, no single indicator will necessarily confirm financial abuse. Consider the cumulative effect of multiple indicators or patterns of concerning behaviour over time, which may warrant further investigation or inquiry. Trust your professional instincts when something doesn’t feel right or make sense.
How can you help prevent financial abuse?
While a practitioner’s role is not to investigate or prove financial abuse, you can recognise indicators of concern and respond appropriately. You can do this by verifying information where required, documenting observations objectively, supporting client autonomy, and referring to specialist services when appropriate – all while prioritising safety and fulfilling professional and legal obligations.
Support services contacts
Being aware of referral services and understanding their capabilities strengthens your response effectiveness.
For immediate danger, call 000 (Australia) / 111 (New Zealand).
Australia
New Zealand
- Good Shepherd (0800 466370) for women, girls or families who are experiencing hardship
- Shine (0508 744 633) helps adults and children who experience family violence to become free from fear, violence and control
- Age Concern (0800 652 105) for expert information and support services in response to older people’s needs
International
Find a helpline https://findahelpline.com/
Learning from real people’s stories
Learn more about how you can deal with financial abuse by reading some real-life scenarios.
By following the frameworks provided on these pages, maintaining professional boundaries, continuing education, and building strong referral networks, you will fulfil your ethical, legal and professional obligations while protecting clients and your practice. Your vigilance, care, and appropriate action can make the difference between protection and exploitation for vulnerable clients.
Key takeaways
- Trust your instincts when something doesn’t feel right.
- Verify identity and authority - know who you're really working with.
- Strengthen your processes through robust onboarding and documentation.
- Speak privately with vulnerable clients where possible and safe.
- Refuse illegal or unethical instructions.
- Recommend formalising arrangements and independent advice for high-risk or complex transactions.
- Document everything objectively and thoroughly.
- Know your referral pathways and use them early.
- Respect autonomy - your role is to enable informed decisions, not to make any decisions.
- Seek advice when uncertain about your obligations.
NOTE:
Remember you are not expected to solve problems. Your role is to recognise, respond appropriately, document, refer, and support the client’s autonomy while prioritising safety – not to force solutions to control the situation.
Download the PDF guide
NOTE: the guide was created in March 2026, some references to laws and/or regulations inside the PDF document may not be applicable in the future.
