Victorian Consolidated Legislation

Family Violence Protection Act 2008 - SECT 6

Meaning of economic abuse

6. Meaning of economic abuse

For the purposes of this Act, economic abuse is behaviour by a person (the
first person) that is coercive, deceptive or unreasonably controls another
person (the second person), without the second person's consent-

   (a)  in a way that denies the second person the economic or financial
        autonomy the second person would have had but for that behaviour; or

   (b)  by withholding or threatening to withhold the financial support
        necessary for meeting the reasonable living expenses of the second
        person or the second person's child, if the second person is entirely
        or predominantly dependent on the first person for financial support
        to meet those living expenses.

Examples-
· coercing a person to relinquish control over assets and income;
· removing or keeping a family member's property without permission, or
threatening to do so;
· disposing of property owned by a person, or owned jointly with a person,
against the person's wishes and without lawful excuse;
· without lawful excuse, preventing a person from having access to joint
financial assets for the purposes of meeting normal household expenses;
· preventing a person from seeking or keeping employment;
· coercing a person to claim social security payments;
· coercing a person to sign a power of attorney that would enable the person's
finances to be managed by another person;
· coercing a person to sign a contract for the purchase of goods or services;
· coercing a person to sign a contract for the provision of finance, a loan or
credit;
· coercing a person to sign a contract of guarantee;
· coercing a person to sign any legal document for the establishment or
operation of a business.