Case Study: Maria’s Story* – Legal responses to financial abuse

She had no social support structure or family and was completely isolated. Soon after her arrival, her husband became physically and psychologically abusive. He exercised control over all areas of her life, refusing to allow her to leave the house without his permission and preventing her from working or having any autonomy or independence. Any resistance by Maria was met with violence and threats of deportation.

Maria’s husband took her to interviews at a number of banks and coerced her to apply for credit cards. He coached her on the answers she was to provide at the interviews and told Maria to lie about whether she worked and how much she earned. Maria ended up with a total of nine credit cards with several different banks. Her husband exercised exclusive control and possession of the credit cards and besides some basic joint living expenses; all transactions were for his benefit. Maria left the relationship with the protection of an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order and was referred from our domestic violence service to RLC’s Credit and Debt Practice for assistance relating to her debts, which were now in excess of $40,000.

Over the course of several months, RLC negotiated with the hardship departments of each of the banks. We assisted Maria to obtain supporting evidence and wrote to each bank outlining her experience of domestic violence and financial abuse. Ultimately, each of the nine credit cards accounts were cancelled and all the debts were waived on compassionate grounds. We also helped Maria to negotiate a fee-free exit from a mobile phone agreement entered into in similar circumstances. RLC’s intervention helped bring genuine relief to a young woman in an acutely vulnerable position. Maria is now living independently, working and studying.

* Not her real name.