Quote from: Shana-chan on April 30, 2014, 09:22:04 PM
Some things I was able to think of (Though really I need to know everything, including stuff not listed here) are, how much does it cost?
Cost varies greatly by location - in some areas it may be under a hundred dollars, while in others it could be closer to $500. Your best bet is to contact the court where you'll be doing the name change if you need to budget.
Quote from: Shana-chan on April 30, 2014, 09:22:04 PM
Where do I go to get my name legally changed and can it be done over the phone/internet/mail?
Generally you'll need to go to the local courthouse in your county, but if it's different where you live once again they should be able to guide you to the right place. In most places you'll have to appear in person unless there's some reason you can't (e.g. there have been some trans* college students that had a hearing remotely while they were away at school so they could change their name in the county where their permanent residence was).
Quote from: Shana-chan on April 30, 2014, 09:22:04 PM
How long does it take to get it legally changed and what would I get proving it's been changed?
The first part is something that once again can vary greatly from location to location - it depends on whether or not you need a formal criminal records check beforehand (which adds the waiting time for that to process), whether or not a certain amount of time must pass if you have to publish a notice of your name change, and the court's schedule. In some places you can get your name changed same-day, while in others you could be waiting months. The last part is simple and basically the same everywhere in the U.S. - you'll get a certified court order that shows that your name has been changed from this to that.
Quote from: Shana-chan on April 30, 2014, 09:22:04 PM
Oh and, can you change more than one name at a time and can you do away with 2 of your 3 names or at least 1 including the last name and does this affect the price and if so by how much?
You can change any part or all of your name - AFAIK that doesn't affect the cost anywhere (after all it's the same amount of processing for the courts). If you're thinking about changing your last name as well you can search around on here for the pros and cons of doing so.
Quote from: Shana-chan on April 30, 2014, 09:22:04 PM
What do I have to have in order to change it?
If you don't have anything in your background (like a felony history or massive debts that it appears you're trying to hide) that would give the judge a legitimate reason to deny your name change simply stating that you don't like your present name and you want a different one is usually good enough (in fact if you live somewhere that is less-than-friendly to transpeople I've suggested before giving a simple reason like that). If you have strikes like the aforementioned ones against you then it may be helpful to provide proof that you're seeking to change genders so the judge doesn't think you're trying to defraud people and get a clean slate.
Quote from: Shana-chan on April 30, 2014, 09:22:04 PM
And who all do I inform of my new name change once it's official and what would I have to provide them in order to do so and, can it be done over the phone/mail/internet?
Basically you'll have to notify and change anything that has your legal name on it. The first thing you'll probably want to do is notify Social Security of your name change and get a card with your new name and go to the local DMV to get your driver's license changed (if your state checks against SS records you need to do it in that order). If you have a passport get that changed too. Once you've got your IDs changed, then go through and change everything else that needs to be done like any insurance, banks, your employer and/or schools you're currently attending, credit cards, utilities, voter registration, deed if you own your house or other property, Selective Service if you're legally male and 18-25, any professional licenses you have, etc. (this is not an exhaustive list). Other things that you can look into changing that aren't urgent include prior school records and your birth certificate (for the latter you can probably just wait until after you've had the necessary surgery to change your gender - unless you were born in one of the states that unfortunately won't change your gender). For some things you can simply notify them of the name change, while others will want to see proof of it (you'll probably need to appear in person to change your DL or other state ID unless you are temporarily out-of-state, which is the main thing you'll likely have to appear in-person to change).
Quote from: Shana-chan on April 30, 2014, 09:22:04 PM
Can you have 4 or more names and does this affect the price and if so by how much?
You can have multiple middle names (or none at all), but on some documents where there isn't enough room your full name may be truncated. Once again, no bearing on the cost (plenty of parents give their children more than one middle name so it's not unusual).
Edited for a belated clarification/revision.
