What Is an Affidavit Letter and How Does It Work? - LegalClarity
What is an Affidavit? An affidavit is used for legal matters when a person gives facts and swears them to be true. The person who signs an affidavit, which is the ultimate act of backing up their statements, is known as the “deponent.” An affidavit is not complete until it is signed and notarized.
An affidavit is a written statement of facts that you sign under oath, typically in front of a notary public. It carries the same legal weight as testimony given in a courtroom, which means lying in one can result in up to five years in federal prison for perjury.
AFFIDAVIT IN SUPPORT OF A CRIMINAL COMPLAINT being duly sworn, depose and state as follows:
Affidavit refers to a written promise, and its Latin roots connect it to another kind of promise in English. It comes from a past tense form of the Latin verb affidare, meaning “to pledge”; in Latin, affidavit translates to “he or she has made a pledge.”
In short, an Affidavit is a written legal document that’s made under oath. The person who writes and signs it—called the affiant—swears that the facts in the document are accurate to the best of their knowledge. A notary public or another authorized officer must witness and verify the affiant’s signature.
Simply put, an affidavit is a sworn statement of fact that can be used in a variety of legal proceedings, from bankruptcy cases to family and civil litigation matters such as divorce proceedings. It's one of the most common legal documents used as evidence when live sworn testimony isn’t possible.