I'm so proud of Laurie for doing this.
I remember my courthouse trip in November 2016, to file my papers and get a court date. My stomach was in knots, my head full of "what if..." worries. I had carefully filled out the 5 'typewritten only' forms, all using scans and a laser printer to get everything just right.
Naturally, stuff happened. "Oh, these forms need to be signed off by a probate judge." Huh? But I don't have a court date... "Upstairs, Room 206. Next!"
So, I got in the queue upstairs. Eventually a clerk glanced at the papers, hit them with a rubber stamp with the judges 'signature', and said they were OK and ready to file. Back downstairs, take a number, wait some more...
It took me about 5 hours to file my name change stuff under the old California laws. Now, like Oregon, the process here is much easier and the forms much simpler.
Still, unnerving to be making such a major change for my life, yet ultimately totally worth it. But I sure did worry...
Laurie, you are going to be just fine. You'll have documents to match the woman you are, and there's a certain comfort in that. You'll see...