How can I change my name?

How can I change my Victorian daughter's last name (Australia)?

• Ok...so...long story short. Me and my partner have a gorgeous baby girl. Now, she has his last name as we are not married and I thought it crucial for her to carry on his family's name. Now our daughter is 13 months old...the problem: I didn't think it would bother me to have a different last name as my daughter, well I thought this when I was pregnant anyway. The truth is, it really does bother me. I want the same last name as my daughter, I feel almost as if she isn't mine (I know how stupid that sounds, but I can't help feeling this way). So, when I was pregnant, my other half promised to marry me, I got the ring...blah blah blah. Now I like to think of myself as a fairly intelligent person, and I have now reached the stunning, yet inevitable conclusion that he will NEVER marry me. I want to marry him, and he does not want to marry me. I love the bloke, I adore him, but it is with great misfortune that I feel he does not share my complete devotion. I am happy living with him, I do not want to break up...however, it seems that with matrimony, I will never have his last name, nor will I ever have the same last name as my daughter, a conclusion I find to be most upsetting. So, since I promised marriage, hence promised his last name, and he has failed to fulfill this promise, I have decided that I will go behind his back and change her last name. But, I want to know if I am legally able to change her last name, under Victorian law without his consent. All I want to change is her name...I want to have the same name as her!! Please help with ANY information you may have. Thankyou

• Answer:

  H'mmm. Just change your surname to that of your child and partner. Easy fix.