Adult son (20) wants to legally separate from parents — disputing liability for education loan, childhood expenses, and eligibility for government schemes

Question

► I am a 20-year-old Indian citizen, currently a student, and I want to formally and permanently sever ties with my parents. Background: My parents both hold government jobs. All nominee benefits, property, and shares have been arranged in my younger brother's name — nothing is in my name. They have financially supported extended family (e.g., cousins) while denying or delaying support for my own basic needs, including college/hostel fees, for the past two years. I have an education loan my father took/co-signed without my asking him to. He now demands I repay not just the loan, but all money he claims he spent raising me since childhood, with a deadline of 4 August 2026 for current dues. My father has stated, on a voice recording I possess, that I am not his son. Over 2013–2026 I have experienced what I believe was mistreatment, including an incident I consider an attempt on my life, and hurtful remarks during a hospitalization. My college/hostel fees for this term remain unpaid, deadline approaching. My questions: Can my father legally compel me to repay him for childhood expenses, separate from the education loan? If my father is the primary borrower and I'm not a co-borrower/guarantor on the loan, am I legally liable to repay it? If I execute an affidavit declaring independence from my parents, what real legal effect does it have — on inheritance rights, family debt liability, or their obligations to me? Does formally separating from my parents make me eligible for government schemes/scholarships currently blocked by their income/govt job status? Should I pursue the safety concerns separately with police, alongside the family law matter? What documents should I prepare before consultation (loan sanction letter, recording, hospital records)?

Answer 1

Dear Client ,
You are now 20 years old and a legal adult, and can decide to live as an adult. Your father is not normally entitled to require you to pay back the normal expenses of raising you as a child, unless there is some other legally binding contract between you and your father that imposes such a requirement. As far as the education loan is concerned, your liability is solely based on the terms of the loan. You are not personally liable because the loan was taken out for your education unless you are a co-borrower, a guarantor, or a borrower. The legal effect of an affidavit saying you're not dependent on your parents is limited. It does not terminate or affect the rights of inheritance, nor have any legal consequences for either party, nor will it affect any liability already accrued under any contract. No eligibility for welfare schemes or government scholarships can be obtained by such an affidavit alone, but rather depends on the rules of a particular welfare scheme or government scholarship. Threats, violence and other criminal activities should be dealt with separately by contacting the police with any evidence available. Collect sanction letters for education loans, loan papers, any guarantee papers, fee papers, voice recordings, medical and hospital records, and any messages or other evidence relating to your claims before talking to the lawyer.

Adult son (20) wants to legally separate from parents — disputing liability for education loan, childhood expenses, and eligibility for government schemes

1 Answer