44+ Free Affidavit Form Examples – PDF

Legal forms are basic documents that come in different appearances and names, depending on the purpose that they serve. One of the most common example of this are affidavits.

An affidavit is a sworn statement that is voluntarily made by a party in writing. The individual who creates the general statement is required to confirm under oath that all of the details of the affidavit are true. The document must then be signed by an officer who has been legally empowered to administer such oaths.

If you’ve ever been in a court proceeding, or have witnessed one in movies or the news, you may have noticed how everyone who is directly involved in the case, such as the witnesses, are made to swear to tell “the truth and nothing but the truth.” This pledge is even made with one hand laid flat on the cover of the Bible, and this ceremonial habit always comes before the witness testifies. You may also see affidavit of death examples.

A general affidavit form works exactly the same way, except that it is nonverbal. The party, instead of making an oath in front of the court, will write it on the document instead. However, the oath being written does not, in any way, diminish its power to hold the person who swore liable should it be proven that he has not been completely honest.

Affidavits can be used in different scenarios depending on the platform wherein it was used. For example, in the business setting, an affidavit is often used to confirm the financial security of an individual who happens to be applying for a credit card, or the financial status of a corporation who has applied for a considerable loan. Within a judicial setting, and affidavit may be used for evidence in court trials and hearings.

An affidavit is considered a legal statement. It verifies the individual’s personal information for identification purposes. It includes his full legal name, his date of birth, his age, even his Social Security number in some cases. The affidavit must also be signed by an affiant (or the person who is making the sworn statement) in front of a notary.

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Small Estate Affidavit Sample

Statutory Declaration vs. Affidavits

A statutory declaration and an affidavit actually works the same way and served the same basic purpose. They work the same way that a simple statement made under oath does. Statutory declarations are often made to allow a person to declare something to be true as a legal requirement or regulation whenever no other type of evidence is within reach.

The only difference between the two is that statutory declarations are used in Australia, Canada, and in the United Kingdom while an affidavit is utilized in the United States.

Depending on the country and its jurisdiction, a statutory declaration may be used for the following:

• The declaration of an individual’s identity, nationality, and marital status when documentary evidence is unavailable.
• When declaring one’s intention to have a change of name.
• To affirm the source and the nature of goods that are used for either exporting or importing.
• To claim the copyright of a piece of information or invention.

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Affidavit in the State of Louisiana

General Affidavit Example

When Can Affidavits Be Used?

Affidavits can be used in different situations, but they are most common in the following scenarios:

• When you enter a contract of agreement
• During a court case for the legal process and the criminal matters
• Applying for work in a government agency
• As an evidence during administrative hearings
• For filing insurance through the carrier or through a third-party insurance for the loss of a cellphone or a SIM card
• For changing your name
• For requesting either a birth or death certificate
• To prove an individual’s identity who does not have or who have lost all of his identification cards
• To make a declaration or statement of fact under oath
• To notify a third party of the death of a person before a formal Death Certificate can be showed
• To confirm one’s residency or residential address
• To confirm that the name you are using is different from the one on your birth certificate because you had a name change
• Verify your identity in cases where your personal information is compromised
• To legally establish the you are the owner of a decedent’s surviving properties
• To confirm that you have received official documents
• To stand as a legal statement by a sponsor who is helping a prospective immigrant apply for a visa

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Example of a General Affidavit

Affidavit Template Example

Sample of a Completed Affidavit Form

What Are the Components of an Affidavit?

There is a standard form that affidavits observe. Since they are legal documents, they must adhere to stricter rules regarding the format. So if you ever find yourself in need of one, you can either consult your legal attorney and have him help you structure your own affidavit. But if that is not an available option which is usually the case, you can always choose to create one yourself.

The most important thing to remember about writing an affidavit yourself is that there are more serious consequences for the mistakes that you make. Unlike in school where a bad essay will only cause you a low grade, such an error in affidavits can cause legal repercussions. You may also see affidavit of birth examples.

If you miss even one key component in the affidavit, or if there is at least one aspect that you have overlooked, and thus have written incompletely, the affidavit will not be considered valid. Even if your affidavit is written for the simple purpose of verifying a health insurance, you would still have to make sure that all of the required sections are included. You may also like affidavit of marriage examples.

Sample Affidavit from Florida

Sample Affidavit Form

Sworn Affidavit Example

1. The document needs to have a title which must be placed near or at the top of the first page.

The title should make its audience easily identify it as an affidavit. Under the title, the name of the affiant must also be listed, and the names of other important parties. This is really more for the sake of formality and future documentation than anything else. However, since it’s a requirement for affidavits, it still must be observed. You may also see affidavit of heirship form examples.

2. The title will be followed by the body of the affidavit.

After the title will be the identifying parts of the affidavit which will make up the main part of the document. This is where the affirmation will be found. As a general rule, this part of the affidavit must be written in the first person. It will contain all of the facts and declarations that the affiant swears to be true. You may also like affidavit of consent examples.

These details must be as clear and specific as possible. It must be written so there will be no space for ambiguity. But, most importantly, the information stated in the affidavit must be accurate based on the knowledge that you hold. Otherwise, the affiant could be charged of perjury. It will also be included in the affidavit that the affiant declares the truthfulness of his statements or he will face penalty of perjury or imprisonment. You may also check out affidavit of domicile examples.

These warning may seem scary but they are normal contents of an affidavit. Anyway, if the affiant is not hiding anything, then there is nothing he should be worried about.

3. Organize any supporting documents.

If you have any supporting documents that can help you prove your case, you may also attach them along with the affidavit. They must be organized and referenced by label if necessary. Only then can it be attached to the end of the final physical document. You might be interested in affidavit of support form examples.

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4. Affiant’s signature on the affidavit.

Another pivotal part of the affidavit is the signature of the affiant, or the person who swears on the truthfulness of his own statements. Without it, the affidavit will not be considered legal or valid. The signing of the document must also be done with the notary public as a witness. He will attest that the affidavit was indeed voluntarily signed by the affiant, and that he was not coerced into doing it. You may also see gift affidavit examples.

5. Notary’s signature on the affidavit.

The form must also have a section designated for the signature of the notary who has served as the witness of the affiant’s signing. He will attest that the affidavit was signed and validated according to the custom. Aside from the notary’s signature, this section must also include the date and the notary’s stamp. You may also like statement analysis examples.

These format may also vary from state to state. So it would be best if you do a little research on your state’s requirements on affidavits to make sure that you are not breaking any rule or forgetting any detail. By thoroughly checking the contents of your affidavit, you can save a whole lot of time and serious trouble. You may also check out statement of work examples.

Fillable General Affidavit Form

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6. Writing an affidavit.

Writing an affidavit isn’t actually that hard. It’s just a little more specific than other documents we are required to write. But as long as you stick to its rules and standards, and follow these tips, you’ll be fine.

7. Observe your point of view.

Make sure that your affidavit is written in the first person point of view.

This basically means that your document has a plethora of the pronoun “I.” So instead of saying, “The doctor told me to rest,” state instead that, “I was told by the doctor to rest.” The court wants to hear the story from your perspective and it won’t help if you don’t refer to yourself as the main object in your statements. Be as selfish as possible in your affidavit. You are the center of attention here. You may also see bank statement examples.

8. Introduce yourself.

Include a brief introduction of yourself as the affiant and briefly explain the reason that has prompted you to write one. This is the section that will include your legal name, your occupation, and your address, and perhaps one or two sentences to relay why you have written the document. The court must understand the importance of the affidavit to your case. You may also like statement of work examples.

9. Stick to the facts.

Make sure that from the very first letter of your affidavit to the last, you have stuck with facts. Anything other than that has no place in the document. You must also refrain from using any figure of speech, such as metaphors and exaggerations.

Don’t say, “The fire was a blazing, living monster that was intent on devouring everything in its path.” You are not a poet, and affidavits don’t require imagism. Simply state things as they are because that’s what the court is looking for. Simply say, “The fire was huge that it burned 100 houses.” You may also check out examples on creating a focus statement.

Also, be careful to not include your opinions in your statements. The court doesn’t care for them, and they destroy the whole purpose of the document. Say you were made to talk about a car accident that you have witnessed. State what happened as objectively as possible.

Say, “The car was speeding around 80 kph and didn’t bother to stop on the red light which caused it to clash with the oncoming traffic,” instead of, “The driver is my neighbor and he is know all around as a drunkard. He was probably drunk that’s why he got into an accident.” As a general rule, make sure that your statements are those that can be verified and followed by facts. You might be interested in examples of writing a strategy statement.

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10. Parties involved in creating an affidavit

Even if you, the affiant, are the one who is writing the affidavit, you are not the only person involved in the process. You would also need the help of

• a legal entity who will receive the affidavit, such as a court;
• the notary public who is also known as the oath commissioner who will authorize the signature of the affiant, and signs and seals the document as well, as a way of authenticating it; and
• two people who can stand as witnesses to the authenticity of the document who must also be present during the signing.

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11. Legal considerations of affidavits

If breaching or failing to meet the conditions of a legal contract can bring painful, often expensive, consequences to the party who broke the general agreement, the same fate awaits the person who lies in a sworn affidavit. This comparison is made to emphasize the importance of taking affidavits seriously.

First of all, you must never sign an affidavit if you know that an information stated in it is not true. You must also avoid signing the document if a notary public is not present. If you submit an affidavit that you have already signed to a notary public, they may not agree to sign it since they cannot attest that the signature is indeed yours. This can make the process a whole different kind of complicated. You may also see profit and loss statement examples.

The document’s quality is also a matter of legal consideration. As we’ve already discussed, it is important that your affidavit contains all of the standard sections that affidavits generally contain. Otherwise, it may not be recognized as valid. The body must also be comprehensible to the audience, and the facts stated in a clear, explicit manner. You may also like concept statement examples.

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The Consequences of Not Being Truthful in an Affidavit

It’s true that lying has its consequences especially if you are lying in an affidavit. You are warranting yourself a free ticket pass toward severe punishment. Since you have sworn that the contents of the affidavit are true, if it is discovered that you weren’t being completely honest, you will find yourself in unpleasant legal water. You might be interested in teaching statement examples.

1. Penalty of perjury

Perjury is the offense of lying to a court after making an oath to tell the truth. By signing an affidavit, you are basically promising the whole of the United States of America that what you are stating are pure facts based on your knowledge. That is a pretty big promise with pretty big punishments waiting if you break it. You may also see examples on how to write a copyright statement.

If it is proven that you were lying to the whole country, you may face penance that is not limited to community service, fine, or even jail depending on the gravity of your untruthful declarations.

2. Unreliable evidence

By lying in your affidavit, you have created an unreliable reference to which some parties or the court itself may be depending on.

For cases where your statement can be used as a witness’s statement for a serious crime, lying can have massive implications on the process.

It will also not be pretty for you. If you are discovered to have made a false statement, you will be cross-examined by the affected parties, including a legal court, to discover to what extent the perjury of your affidavit has affected. And it’s important that you know this now but this is not going to be a quick process. You may also like management statement examples.

3. Diminished moral character

Even in a normal day-to-day setting, if people discover that you have lied to them, or deceived them in any way, their perception of you may change.

The same thing applies for affidavits. However, instead of broken relationships, lying to an affidavit will result in the damage of your public image. You will now have a record of having a corrupt behavior that no amount of honest affidavits can erase. You may also check out personal statement examples.

You will risk the court and even your family to view you in a less pleasant light. This may also affect your future business engagements and settlements.

4. Financial sanctions

Perhaps the most expensive but the least demeaning of all the punishments that lying in an affidavit can result in is financial sanction. This form of punishment is especially rampant in cases where divorce or child support is the main issue. You might be interested in business statement examples.

The court may impose a big sanction for your deceitfulness. They may even choose to distribute the assets you own that are in question in a way that will not be favorable to you, or make you pay the non-offending party a large sum of money.

Basically, you don’t want a legal court or the whole nation’s laws to be against you because the results you will reap will be anything but sweet. An affidavit is, on top of everything else, a sworn statement. And nobody wants a sworn statement that is not true. You may also see artist statement examples.

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Affidavit of Heirship

What Are the Consequences of Not Using an Affidavit

An affidavit plays an important role in many transactions, which is why a lot of parties choose to have one created. Since this document helps attest to a fact, exercise a right, bring a claim, or even advance a case, the lack of one can create an incomplete picture that will be insufficient for the other party. You may also see need statement examples.

1. Without an affidavit of heirship, the heirs to a deceased party’s estates may be misidentified. It can lead to a more expensive probate process and an improper distribution of property.

2. Without an affidavit of identity, you may not be able to authenticate your own identity, which can result in difficulty in instituting or transacting with parties since they will question your legitimacy and will refuse to do business with you. You also cannot file for charges for identity theft without this specific affidavit. You may also like vision statement examples.

3. Without an affidavit of residence, you cannot verify your legal address. You may also be denied of school enrollment in your district. It may even result in being precluded from government and healthcare benefits specific to your locality. You may also check out income statement examples.

4. Without an affidavit of death, the death of the individual you know will not be verified in the eyes of courts, businesses, agencies, banks, and other parties with whom the deceased had a connection with. This can result in difficulty in tying the loose ends of the decedent’s financial properties. You might be interested in scope statement examples.

These are only some of the burdensome implications of not having an affidavit for transactions that highly need one. Make sure that you understand the legal case you are in and determine if an affidavit can help you with it.

Who Can Sign an Affidavit?

The requirements for signing (and making) an affidavit are simple. First, the person must be of sound mind. Otherwise, any of his basic statements may be questioned for validity and quality. He must have the mental capacity to understand the statements he made and the consequences that he may face should falsehood be found in his declarations.

The person must also create and sign the affidavit out of his own sheer will. He must not be coerced into doing it, or pressured by any outside entity. The affidavit must also be signed only by people who are over the legal age or 18 years old and more. However, a minor may be permitted to swear on an affidavit if the document will be helpful in a family law proceeding. You may also see value statement examples.

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To Wrap It Up

You must remember, before signing an affidavit, that even if your statement will serve as an evidence to a legal case or a legal business transaction, the tables may be turned and your declarations may be held against you. Make sure that you are confident enough in the information that you hold to be able to share it with a legal court. You may also see blank affidavit form examples.

Affidavits, as with all legally issued documents, must not be taken lightly. Take into consideration the reminders and precautions we have discussed in this post to guide you in writing an affidavit. If even that is not enough, don’t hesitate to run to a legal attorney. You may also like statement of purpose examples.