Financial Abuse Service NSW
We provide free legal advice and support to people across NSW who have money problems or family law issues as a result of financial abuse.
What is financial abuse?
Financial abuse is a form of family and domestic violence. It is a pattern of control, exploitation or sabotage of money and finances.
Financial abuse often occurs in intimate partner relationships where one partner uses money to gain power and to control their partner.
Financial abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of age, income or financial capability.
About this service
Our service offers free and confidential legal, financial counselling and social work assistance to people in NSW experiencing money problems because of financial abuse from an intimate partner.
We can help if your partner or ex-partner has:
- taken out debts in your name
- borrowed money from you they have not paid back
- pressured you to take out loans or sign personal guarantees
- opened an account in your name without your permission
- made you a director of a company that they control
- made you responsible for company tax and business debts
- accrued traffic or parking fines or tolls in your name
We can help you if:
- you want to fix information on your credit report because of financial abuse
- your credit score was damaged because of financial abuse
- you are considering bankruptcy because your partner put you in debt
- you are worried about your visa because it is connected to your partner
We can also give you advice about financial family law matters, such as:
- dividing assets and debts in a property settlement
- spousal maintenance
- child support
- Family Court orders
We can also provide trauma informed social work and financial counselling support, if needed.
Please note: We do not provide court representation for family law matters. For advice and task assistance, we prioritise people who do not have legal representation and are not able to access family law advice elsewhere.
How to contact us
- Fill in our confidential online enquiry form, or
- Call us on 02 8037 8090 (Monday to Thursday 10am -12:30pm and 2pm – 4pm, Friday 10am-12:30pm)
You can ask for a free telephone interpreter if you need one. If you leave a voicemail, please tell us your name and how we can safely contact you.
If we can’t help solve your legal or non-legal problem, we will try to refer you to another service that can.
We welcome referrals from community workers.
You can complete our online form on behalf of someone else.
WHAT WE DO
Training and resources
Click here to access our many resources on financial abuse in intimate partner relationships, including recordings of our training webinars and links to our fact sheets.
Our webinars are valuable to all community workers in services such as financial counselling, domestic violence, women's refuges and community legal centres. Some examples relate to NSW, but most of the content is applicable Australia-wide.
Our past webinar recordings are available to watch on-demand. Register for upcoming webinars here.
Financial abuse in intimate partner relationships (recordings & resources)
Legal self-help
Law reform
We use expertise and insights from our Financial Abuse Service NSW to advocate for policy and law reform to improve outcomes for victim survivors and ensure that the government and industry recognise, address and prevent financial abuse.
We coordinate the national Economic Abuse Reference Group (EARG), a network of over 60 community organisations across Australia that work collectively with government and industry to reduce the financial impacts of family violence. Our members include domestic and family violence services, community legal services and financial counselling services.
EARG regularly provides feedback to guide industry and government responses to financial abuse and is a leading voice on addressing financial and economic abuse in Australia. Our advocacy has influenced policy development and reform across debt collection, family law, tax and corporations, design of financial products, telecommunications, traffic fines, bankruptcy, credit reporting, coercive control, and Australia’s national domestic and family violence policy frameworks.
Our research, reports and submissions to consultations and inquiries are published on the EARG website.
Other services that can help
Domestic violence services
- NSW Domestic Violence Line is a 24-hour service providing counselling and referrals to women in NSW experiencing domestic violence. Call 1800 65 64 63.
- Women’s Domestic Violence Advocacy Service (WDVCAS) provides support and referrals to women seeking protection from domestic violence and navigating the court system. This free service is run by Legal Aid at locations across NSW. To contact your local WDVCAS call 1800 938 227.
- Women’s Legal Service NSW provides free confidential legal advice to women in NSW, with a focus on family law, parenting issues, domestic violence, sexual assault and discrimination. Call 02 8745 6988. For the Domestic Violence Legal Advice Line: call 02 8745 6999, or toll free 1800 810 784. For the First Nations Women's Legal Contact Line: call 02 8745 6977, or toll free 1800 639 784.
- Relationships Australia provides domestic violence services and support in NSW, including individual counselling for women and men, behavioural change and group programs, educational programs, and legal case support. Call 1300 364 277.
- The Financial Safety website provides financial information for women who have experienced family violence, and includes a national Directory of Services.
- The NSW Government has more information about how to get help and support for domestic, family and sexual violence.
- 1800RESPECT is a 24-hour national sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line for anyone who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault. Call 1800 737 732 or chat online. See the Financial Abuse Support Toolkit.
Housing and homelessness
- Link2Home is a 24-hour service providing homelessness information and referrals to crisis accommodation in NSW. Call 1800 152 152.
Financial counselling services
The National Debt Helpline operates Australia wide and can connect you with a free financial counsellor for confidential help with debts and money problems. Call 1800 007 007 or chat online.
The Small Business Debt Helpline operates Australia wide and provides free and confidential advice to small business owners and sole traders in financial difficulty. Call 1800 413 828 or chat online.
The Financial Independence Hub is a free and confidential recovery service that helps women who have experienced family violence feel more confident with money. Call 1300 050 150.
Tax Clinics run by universities throughout Australia provide free tax advice for people who can’t afford professional tax advice. Find your local tax clinic here.
MoneySmart is a website run by the Australian Government which provides more information about financial abuse and how to get support.
Family law services
The Family Advocacy and Support Service (FASS) run by Legal Aid NSW provides free family law advice and support for women and men impacted by family violence. Duty lawyers and social support workers are available at court locations across NSW. Call 1800 979 529.
The Domestic Violence Unit at Legal Aid NSW is a specialist team of lawyers, domestic violence case workers, mental health workers and financial counsellors who help people who have experienced family violence with their legal and other needs. Call 1800 979 529.
Wallumatta Legal is a low fee, not-for-profit family law firm that assists clients with family law issues who don’t qualify for government funded legal services such as Legal Aid but can’t afford to pay a private lawyer. It is your responsibility to discuss fees with any law firm.
Brigid Justice is a specialist not-for-profit family law firm offering low cost legal services to women who have experienced domestic violence. It is your responsibility to discuss fees with any law firm.
Service supported by
The Financial Abuse Service NSW is funded by the NSW Government through the Community Legal Centres Program administered by Legal Aid NSW.
The service is a proud partner of CommBank Next Chapter.
Ecstra Foundation provides a grant for policy, law reform and capacity-building work.