How to write an affidavit.

Learn more about this common legal document and the necessary requirements for writing your own.

If you need to make a statement for court proceedings or other legal matters, one option you may have is to create an affidavit. Basically, it is a sworn written statement that you can use to testify that certain information is true and correct. Let’s explore what you need to know before you start writing your own affidavit.

What to include in your affidavit.

Affidavits are not difficult documents to prepare, but you need to ensure that you provide required information for it to be valid. The following are six critical sections that must be included:

1. Title. This is either your name (“Affidavit of Jane Doe”) or the specific case information.
2. Statement of identity. The next paragraph tells the court about yourself. (My name is Jane Doe. I am 45 years old, work as a nurse, and currently reside at 224 Grove Street, Phoenix, Arizona.)
3. Statement of truth. In this section, you’ll swear that the following information is true and correct to the best of your knowledge.
4. Statement of facts. The following paragraph(s) will lay out your statement of facts. Each paragraph should contain only one fact and the details relevant to it.
5. Closing statement of truth. After you finish stating your facts, you’ll once again swear that the above information is correct.
6. Sign and notarize. The final section includes signature lines for you, witnesses, and the notary section, as well as the date.

How to prepare an affidavit?

No matter what context your affidavit applies to, there are certain guiding principles to consider when you’re preparing your document.

• Speak in the first person. This personalizes your affidavit, giving your personal account and testimony.
• Remain concise. Keeping your message as short as possible helps you to clearly communicate your message, and can make it more impactful.
• Restate your claims. Reiterating your statement is a powerful way to end your affidavit, and is recommended to help your points hit home.
• Notarize your affidavit. This is often required and may build your credibility as a source.

How to write a general affidavit?

A general affidavit is generally used in court, swearing a statement of truth to a certain defined fact. A sample of an affidavit can include notarized affidavit documentation surrounding a business transaction.

Here are the steps you need to take to successfully write a general affidavit:

1. Title your affidavit. Don’t forget to list any relevant contact or identification information that you may need to include in the heading.
2. Write your statement. This includes your statement of identity, your statement of truth and any relevant surrounding facts.
3. Verify that your information is true. Don’t be afraid to spend time making your summary as concise and accurate as possible.
4. Finalize and notarize. Sign your affidavit and notarize it before submitting it to the court.

If you don’t feel comfortable writing your own affidavit, you can also search online for common templates. Some websites will even autogenerate the affidavit for you and allow the involved parties to sign digitally with e-signatures. Keep in mind that in some states you may need to write the affidavit in front of witnesses. Make sure you check your local and/or state requirements before getting started.

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