#  MEDIA RELEASE | Sapience Financial Lodges Formal Government Submission on Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation

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Sapience Financial Policy Desk | Press Release# Financial Risk Firm Urges Federal Government to Stop Financial Elder Abuse in Landmark Submission

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** | **Date:** 6 April 2026 | **Location:** Sydney, NSW
**Attention:** Legal Affairs, Wealth Management, and Social Policy Editors
**Primary Contact:** Policy & Media Desk ([](https://mail.finallysorted.com.au/javascript:/*%20This%20email%20address%20is%20being%20protected%20from%20spambots.*/))

**SYDNEY, NSW** - Specialty risk advice firm Sapience Financial has submitted a formal policy response to the Attorney-General's Department addressing systemic financial elder abuse, covert domestic coercion, and structural risks within estate planning frameworks.

The submission, titled *The Predator on the Couch*, details how vulnerable older Australians face financial extraction and identity lockdown within immediate family households - often perpetrated under the guise of informal caregiving or filial duty.

> 'Financial elder abuse inside the family home is one of the most covert and devastating risks facing older Australians today. When an adult child or co-habitating relative uses informal caregiving as a cover for financial extraction and identity lockdown, it is not a private family squabble: it is deliberate economic exploitation.' - Drew Browne, CEO & Senior Financial Adviser, Sapience Financial

Sapience Financial's submission outlines three critical policy recommendations to close estate planning loopholes and establish systemic protections:

- **Power of Attorney Overhaul:** Mandatory independent legal verification for enduring powers of attorney where financial management is transferred to a co-habitating relative.
- **Financial Red Flag Screening:** Mandating financial institutions to screen for joint-account salary or pension diversions where an elderly account holder displays signs of administrative lockdown.
- **Succession Act Protections:** Amending family provision frameworks to prevent perpetrators of verified financial elder abuse from lodging civil claims against victim estates.

\- ENDS -

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### 📁 Official Press Kit & Government Submission Documents

Journalists, policy analysts, and researchers are authorised to download and reference the full government submission package below:

1. Main Submission Document

PDF Document | The Predator on the Couch

 [Download Full Submission PDF (2MB)](https://mail.finallysorted.com.au/images/blog-assets/pdf-download/260406%20SAP%20Govt%20Submission%20_%20Elder%20Abuse%20Submission%20Sapience%20Financial%20Sapience%20Financial.pdf)

2. Policy Mandate Summary

PDF Document | Executive Briefing

 [Download Executive Summary PDF](https://mail.finallysorted.com.au/images/blog-assets/pdf-download/260406%20SAP%20Govt%20Submission%20_%20Elder%20Abuse%20Submission%20Sapience%20Financial%20Sapience%20Financial.pdf)

**Digital & Research Authority Links:**- **Official Government Submission Page:** [sapience.com.au/newsroom/elder-abuse-submission](https://sapience.com.au/newsroom/sapience-financial-elder-abuse-government-submission)
- **Newsroom & Media Desk:** [sapience.com.au/newsroom](https://sapience.com.au/newsroom)

**Media Contact & Enquiries:**
**Sapience Financial Policy & Media Desk**
Email: [](https://mail.finallysorted.com.au/javascript:/*%20This%20email%20address%20is%20being%20protected%20from%20spambots.*/)
Website: [sapience.com.au](https://sapience.com.au)