A very smart woman I know started a web page that takes care of all of the pain in the butt aspects of name changes. I am not sure if she just does CA or if she does other states but you should check out her page at
www.enamechange.com. A couple of my friends have used her services and found them very helpful.
My second year of law school my journal published an article on the laws surrounding name changes. It was so interesting to learn about other country's traditions as compared to the US traditions. It was also interesting to learn how backward so many state laws were until quite recently. If you are dorky, like me, or a lawyer, you can check out the article at 7 So. Cal. Rev. Law & Women's Stud. 1 (1997). The article is called The Beginning of Wisdom Is to Call Things by Their Right Names by Kif Augustine-Adams.