My father is abusive, and I want to drop his surname. I’m 18, and a lawyer told me I can’t change it, but my father can. How is this fair? I know I can change my name entirely, but what’s the right way to go about changing my surname?

Under Indian law, you can change your surname independently at 18. While your father can change his own surname, it doesn’t impact your right to change yours. To change your surname, you can apply for a name change through a legal process involving a court order or a gazette notification.