Sworn Affidavit Form
When someone is testifying in a court trial, he or she must state that what he or she is about to say are true and correct and that he or she knew and understood that he or she will be exposed against prosecution for perjury whenever for giving false statements after having taken an oath or affirmation. You may also see affidavit of death examples.
The testimony is important as this will impact greatly to the decisions of the court. Hence, it is important that the information and general statements provided to the court must be correct. An affidavit will surely play a great part in the court of law as this serves as an evidence to its veracity or authenticity and is required for court proceedings.
You may refer to the examples below for your guide and reference in making sworn affidavit forms.
Brief Sworn Affidavit Form Example
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EME Sworn Affidavit Form Example
What Is an Affidavit?
An affidavit is a legal document containing a written sworn statement of fact that is very similar to a witness’s sworn testimony in a court of law made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized by law.
This is a written version of the oath of a witness in a court trial, stating that what he or she is about say is true and correct under penalty of perjury or the offense of willfully not telling the truth in the court after having taken an oath or affirmation. The difference is that an affidavit is used to attest to things outside the courtroom. You may also see affidavit of ownership examples.
It serves as an evidence to its veracity or authenticity and is required for court proceedings. There are cases in which a preamble, or an introductory clause, is added to attest that the affiant personally appeared before the authenticating authority. The term “affidavit” is a Medieval Latin for “he/she has declared upon oath.” You may also like affidavit of marriage examples.
The substance of the document makes it an affidavit. If the affiant is competent enough to testify to the contents of the affidavit at trial, then mere technical deficiencies do not render the affidavit improper or incorrect.
Aside from the facts, an affidavit must also state and affirmatively demonstrate how the affiant obtained knowledge of those facts. If the facts stated in the affidavit are proven untrue and outside the personal knowledge of the affiant, then the affidavit will become legally improper and insufficient and the affiant exposes himself against prosecution for the crime of perjury. You may also check out blank affidavit form examples.
Essential Elements of an Affidavit
To constitute a complete affidavit, there are three essential elements that must be present in an affidavit which are as follows:
- a written oath representing the facts as sworn by the affiant or deponent
- the signature of the affiant or deponent
- the attestation by an authorized personnel to administer the oath
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General Sworn Affidavit Form Example
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Components of an Affidavit
1. Commencement.
This refers to the beginning of the document where the affiant, the person making the affidavit, is identified.
2. Averments.
These are also called affirmations which include a list of all the claims being made by the affiant.
3. Statement of truth.
This is a simple statement declaring or asserting that everything that is mentioned in the affidavit is true. Example statement of truth are as follows:
- I solemnly swear that the aforementioned are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.
- I believe that the facts stated in this affidavit are true.
- I believe that the facts stated in this witness statement are true.
4. Attestation clause.
This is the portion of the affidavit where the oath made by the affiant is certified by an authorized personnel. Examples of different attestation clauses are as follows:
- Signed in my presence by [full name] who is personally known to me
- The common seal of [name of the corporation] was affixed hereto in accordance with its articles of association in the presence of [full name of the person attesting the fixing of the seal and their capacity or authority as a witness]. You may also see affidavit of birth examples.
- The common seal of [name of the corporation] was affixed hereto by a unanimous resolution of the Board of Directors in the presence of [full name of the person attesting the fixing of the seal and their capacity or authority as a witness]. You may also like affidavit of correction examples.
- The common seal of [name of the corporation] was affixed hereto by the authority of the Board of Directors in the presence of [full name of the person attesting the fixing of the seal and their capacity or authority as a witness]
- Signed in my presence by [full name], I hereby certify that the contents of this document were read over and explained to the said [name of the person again] who, to the best of my belief, understood the nature and effect thereof. You may also check out affidavit of service form examples.
- The testator/testatrix signed in the presence of both of us being present at the same time and we attested his/her signature in the presence of him/her and of each other
5. Signatures.
This is the last portion of the document which includes the signature of the affiant as well as whose of the witnesses.
Steps in Writing an Affidavit
In writing an affidavit, you can follow these simple steps:
1. Write the title of the affidavit. The first thing that you must determine is the title of your affidavit. The titles of the affidavit may vary depending on its purpose. If the affidavit is a sworn statement, then you must include in the title the name and address of the affiant or the person giving the testimony, for example, Affidavit of John Doe. You may also see affidavit of financial support examples.
If the affidavit is to be submitted before the court, the caption of the case must be stated at the top of the affidavit, and this may be found on any of the pleadings filed by the parties in the said case. It must include the case number, the name of the court, the county and the state, and the names of the parties.
2. Write the name and personal circumstances of the client. In the first paragraph of your affidavit, you must write the name and personal circumstances of the affiant which include his address, age, date of birth, occupation, place of work, immigration status, as well as the relationship of the affiant to any of the parties in the case. You may also check out affidavit of consent examples.
3. Write an opening sentence. After writing the name and personal circumstances of the client, the opening sentence must be written. Note that this must be written in the first person. It must state that the affiant is swearing under oath, affirming and certifying that the information contained in the affidavit is complete and true. You might be interested in affidavit of domicile examples.
4. Make an outline of the facts. Before finalizing the facts to be included in your affidavit, you must first make an outline of these facts and determine which among your gathered facts are relevant and important and disregard those that are not. Make sure to arrange the facts in a coherent manner. You may also like affidavit of residence form examples.
5. Group similar facts into one paragraph. It is easier to read if you group similar facts into one paragraph. In this way, the affidavit will also appear organized and comprehensible. You may also number the paragraphs so that it will be easier to refer to it in court. You may also see gift affidavit examples.
6. Provide the details for each of the stated facts clearly and concisely by providing the complete and correct names, addresses, dates, and other important information needed in the affidavit.
7. Add references that support the document. To certify your statement in the affidavit, you may also add supporting documents which are called “exhibits.”
8. Make a sentence swearing that the affidavit is a complete representation of the fact. To close, you must make a statement that the affidavit is a complete representation of the facts. You must also spell out the oath that the affiant is taking. You may also check out ID theft affidavit examples.
9. Create the signature block. A signature block is the space where the affiant shall sign his or her name.
10. Provide a notary signature block. This is the space where the notary shall sign his or her name.
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Importance of Affidavits
1. Can be used as a legal promise in writing
There are some people who sign and attest a document not knowing that they are already signing an affidavit. Most people do not know that a voter registration card is already a form of affidavit. This is because you must swear that the information you are giving to the registrar is correct under the penalty of perjury. It is signed by a county clerk or other official with the authority to witness the oath. You may also see research statement examples.
Another example is the statement of residency from incoming students. Students who are residing in the state in which the school they will be attending to often receive reduced tuition fee. Hence, students are required to sign a basic statement of residency proving that they reside in that certain state.
2. Act as a written oath
An affidavit also acts as a written oath which is needed in almost all legal documents. For example, changing a person’s name requires a signed affidavit from the petitioner to ensure that the name change request is not being conducted for illegal purposes or made to defraud creditors. You may also check out examples on creating a focus statement.
Another example is when a foreign citizen enters the USA, the immigration service requires evidence that the person will not become a financial burden on the US government. An affidavit of support must be signed by the person’s sponsor guaranteeing that they are capable of supporting the individual. These are just some of the common cases in which an affidavit serves as a written oath. You may also like need statement examples.
3. Maintain the force of law
Affidavits are also a way to maintain the force of law, holding the individual legally accountable and responsible for any promises that he or she makes regarding the information contained in the affidavit. Hence, it is important that he or she thoroughly read and understand all the information contained in the affidavit prior to signing it. You might be interested in bank statement examples.
There are certain cases that an affidavit is used to maintain the force of law:
- affidavit of domicile
- affidavit of heirship
- affidavit of marriage
Simple Sworn Affidavit Form Example
WBENC Sworn Affidavit Form Example
Quick Recap
An affidavit serves as a written sworn statement of fact and a type of verified statement or showing, containing verification under oath or penalty of perjury. It has three essential elements, namely a written oath, a signature of the affiant, and an attestation of an authorized personnel. You may also see management statement examples.
It has five basic components which are as follows: commencement, averments, statement of truth, attestation clause, and signatures.
Knowing the five components, you can easily draft your affidavit following these steps: write the title of the general affidavit, write the name and personal circumstances of the client, write the opening sentence, make an outline of the facts, group similar facts into one paragraph, provide the details for each of the stated facts, add references that support the document, make a sentence swearing that the affidavit is a complete representation of the fact, create a signature block, and lastly, provide a notary signature block.
The above discussion and examples of sworn affidavit can be of help especially when you are not yet used to write sworn affidavit, so make use of the examples above and feel free to refer to them whenever you feel the need to have an example as a guide for making a simple affidavit.
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