Change of Last Name

[Mogul1]

I am petitioning for a change of my last name in the Washington County Court of Common Pleas. I have finally organized all of the necessary documentation and forms to complete the name change through the court which includes everything from the civil cover sheet to the notary form, the decree of name change, notice of name change, etc. I am trying to get the process started by getting my fingerprints done through the state police and filing the petition/cover sheet with the Prothonotary Office, however, finding out the proper procedure and order of these first 2 tasks has taken up hours of my time. Out of 6 phone calls placed to the Washington County Clerks Office, Prothonotary Office and a few other departments I am still unclear about what I need to do first, where to take the fingerprint card and petition, and what happens after I deliver these items. I need guidance through this name change process and the court departments immediately dismiss any questions that I've asked them by transferring me to other departments or they simly tell me that they can't help me with the process. I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could guide me through the steps of getting my name changed. Could anyone tell me at this point how much it would cost to have an attorney complete the name change process for me? I am trying to avoid additional legal fees since there are already court and filing costs involved but the amount of time that this initial step has taken me to find out little to nothing has been very frustrating. Please help.