Child custody in North Carolina?

husband deported by immigration (in 2007) if I get full Custody of our Child who he never met or seen, Can I change the child's name? and down the road Can I do Everything that I need to do for the Child? for example: apply for passport, enroll into School. The father have NO contact (phone, email, mail, or what so ever) with us, NO child Support (not a penny), he wasnt even here in NC when the child was born, the child was born in 2009, he got deported in 2007. Do I need a Lawyer? or can I file this by my self?