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SYDNEY, NSW (6 April 2026) — 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.
Formal Response Submission to the Government by Sapience Financial
👓 Read our Full 2026 Mandate Submission here
📥 Download the Full Submission (PDF, 2MB)
Key Policy Recommendations Highlights
- 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/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.
Media Enquiries: | sapience.com.au/newsroom
