"What does a petition even look like?", and other name change queries!

[Eli]

I generally don't like starting new topics since I can usually find my answers in topics already posted, but I've got some questions that I haven't had any luck with yet.

Recently I celebrated my eighteenth birthday. I figured as a birthday present to myself/first step to transition (ftm), I could get my name legally changed. However, when I researched online tutorials/the forums I only felt more confused about how to proceed.

I heard several mentions of petitions, courts, Judges, and legal jargon that quite frankly went right over my head. I'm still "fresh meat" to this whole legal adulthood business, so I still kind of feel like I'm going to fill out my paperwork wrong or not show up to the write office and end up stuck with my old name. It's pretty intimidating, but I have no doubts about wanting to change my name.

So I'm asking to see if anyone can help put some of this in laymen's terms, offer some advice on how to even start, things to avoid, and what does a petition even look like? I'm in NC, by the way if that makes any difference (I've heard laws/requirements vary by state).

Assistance of any caliber would be most gratefully appreciated, and thank you for taking the time to read this.

[tekla]

Start here, if you have other questions, ask and I'll see what I can find, but this is a good starting place.
http://www.courts.state.ny.us/courts/nyc/civil/namechanges.shtml

[Eli]

So within 24hrs of posting this I visited my town's local court house (I had a minor traffic citation issue to resolve anyway). Once I finally made it to the people that actually dealt with name changes, the lady told me to get "The Proper Forms & Paperwork". When I naively inquired as to what "The Proper Forms & Paperwork" might be, she told me - in the nicest way possible - to google it. Well, in her defense she also suggested that I could consult a lawyer on the matter. Since I had checked out the website you posted tekla, I figured I'd look more in depth to there to see if there was any sort of a list that I could start with.

Low and behold, I found this: http://www.courts.state.ny.us/courts/nyc/civil/forms/NameChangeInstructions.pdf

Is it safe to assume that the "next step" for me is to gather up the legal documentation listed in the above PDF link and present it back at the court house?

[tekla]

Well that page I gave you had all sorts of hyperlinks on it.  So get the forms, and check, because I'm sure one of them has a list of exactly what you need to have.  And money, it costs to file, and usually to print out the change in some paper for X amount of time.