"Even something as innocent as joint finances, joint bank accounts can so easily be flipped and weaponised.”  

A joint bank account. A new company registration. Signing on the dotted line for a family trust. When you build a life or a business with a partner, combining your money feels like the ultimate team move. But what happens if things take a wrong turn?   

In Australia, 16% of women and 8% of men experience intimate partner financial abuse. UNSW Professor Ann Kayis-Kumar explains how easily standard financial structures can be manipulated for financial abuse.   

Founding Director of the UNSW Tax and Business Advisory Clinic, Professor Kayis-Kumar, shares the simple steps you could take to check your financial safety. And for professional advisors, hear the crucial workplace practices you can put in place to ensure you aren’t facilitating the abuse. 

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Need help? You can reach out to 1800 Respect (1800 737 732), a 24/7 free, national domestic violence hotline. For help navigating financial safety, contact Financial Abuse Service NSW at Redfern Legal Centre.  

Want to ensure your customer data is actually safe? Listen to our episode with Laura Newton, Regulatory Lawyer and Cyber Incident Response Lead at Herbert Smith Freehills. 

The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios. It’s hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, and the transcript can be found on our website. 

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We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made.