Are there any legal problems that could arise in changing my legal first name that I may not consider?
For example, I'm a US citizen and how difficult would it be to get my passport and social security card changed? Would this legal first name change affect me negatively in other ways in regards to the law?
I'd like to change my legal first name from something like "David" to "Dave". I have good reasons for this; live in Washington State and know the process; and my family has always called me "Dave" (even my parents), never "David". I've also signed many non-government forms (both paper and online) with my "Dave" nickname.
Any words of advice from people that have actually changed their legal first names would be appreciated.