I spent three freaking hours on the phone yesterday, Monday, going from City Clerk, to County Clerk, to Surrogate Court Clerk, to Superior Court Clerk, to Family Court clerk, trying to locate one lousy form that I need to complete my legal name change paperwork. It's called "in forma pauperis...in English, a poor person application.
What it does is, if it's accepted by the Judge, it relieves me of the fees involved in getting my name legally changed, due to my financial status. What I did finally find was an understanding court clerk who finally recognized what it was I needed, and found it, under yet another title/name. So, that is in the mail and I should have it tomorrow, Wednesday.
I fill it out, return it to the same court clerk, who submits it to the Judge. in a month I will have his or her decision and I can then go ahead and file all the other paperwork I already have filled out and ready to submit. If the Judge doesn't approve my petition for 'poor person status' I am still only liable for one fee of 235 dollars, instead of the three fees a lawyer told me I'd have to pay, a difference of 150 dollars.
I also completed all the paperwork needed to confirm, and begin to collect, Social Security benefits. My first check will be issued in June and direct deposited into my checking account each month after that.
I also checked into registering for the Southern Comfort Conference which is held in September, in Atlanta. This is the world's largest TG conference, and I have already made certain that I will have the money all set so I can pre-register, getting the early bird rates on both the conference and hotel room. Ariel has offered to be my guide/sponsor and will try to keep me out of trouble.
I have also embarked on the purchase of a new laptop so I will be able to blog from the conference...hopefully, and with permission, of course, maybe even live video blog from there. I will complete my first year of my Real Life Test on May 26th, and I can't think of a better place, or way, to celebrate this accomplishment, than this huge Conference.
Yet another chapter is about to begin, in my new life, and I am really looking forward to all of it...except, of course, the getting older part. LOL! I still plan to work, part time, but I will be in a position where I can work because I WANT to...not because I HAVE to.
Hopefully, I will meet some of you there, if any of you are planning on attending.
Hope to see some of you there!!
Hugs 'n love,
Catherine Linda Michel
Comments
Great news!
Sounds like good, no, make that GREAT news! Congrats to you, and have fun at the conference! :-)
Oh, on the "growing older" bit. Isaac Asimov in the author's forward to his book "The Sensuous Dirty Old Man" points out that the only alternative to growing older is dying young, which he found totally unacceptable. So if you are going to grow old, have fun doing it!
They know they can survive
If my current debacle with SSD is cleared ... ever.
I had not thought about going, but I just might. Do I have to have a guide? The only one I would be likely to obey would be one who would put a locking collar, shackles and a leash on me. Of course there would be the daily thrashing to keep me in line.
Oh, not that kind of conference? :(
Gwendolyn
Congratulations!...
...and good luck with the paperwork and application for relief. :-)
-Liz
Successor to the LToC
Formerly known as "momonoimoto"
More congratulations
Just be sure that the support will arrive to you after the name change. With normal burocracy that might put a hold on your mioney. I experienced something like that just the last week. I live under "protected status" somewhat alike "protected withess system" and because of that no one could get anny opfficial info about me. That stoped a credit company from allowing me to have a payment plan fro a new radio. Burocracy may never end.
Ginnie
GinnieG