The $200 for the name change in NJ is rather costly compared to other states. I represented myself and didn't have any issues. Plus there is the cost of publishing it in the paper. ($65 each time, NJ requires two publications.) You have to show a very low household income. A friend of mine who I thought should have qualified didn't because his mother made $500 over the annual limit. It's pretty hard to get that in NJ since NJ is so expensive to live in.