Civil Law

What is an Affidavit? Notary Services Ottawa

When do you need an affidavit and why do you need notary services for them?

When you need a written statement that is sworn to be true (for evidence or proof of something), that is when you need an affidavit. Affidavits are written statements under oath most commonly used in legal proceedings. They’re beneficial for providing written accounts of details surrounding a case and keeping a record. These documents make it easier for a judge to make a decision. If you ever need to conduct personal or business affairs, you’ll likely need to sign some type of affidavit. Notary services for affidavits are required to check the validity of a signature, which is typically one of the very last steps in the process.

If ever you’re a witness in a case and find yourself on a witness stand, you’ll need to swear under oath that you’re telling the truth. If you’re found to be lying on the witness stand while under oath, that’s a criminal offence called ‘perjury.’ When you swear under oath, this is done verbally – an affidavit is the written version. It’s illegal to sign an affidavit that contains false information, so it’s imperative to read documents carefully before signing them. The person making a statement is called the affiant, and someone authorized to provide notary services would also sign the document.

The purpose of affidavits

The best way to formally legitimize a claim is to document it in an affidavit. When used in conjunction with witness statements or evidence in a dispute, it’s one of the only ways to hold someone 100% accountable for their word. After signing an affidavit, it can not be changed or altered in any way, and additional notary services are required to certify true copies of the original document. The overall purpose of these documents is to deliver certifiable facts while guaranteeing that they’re wholly valid and legitimate. There are cases where signing an affidavit is voluntary and other situations where it’s mandatory – requirements can depend on the type of case and applicable laws in different regions.

The most common uses for affidavits

An affidavit plays an essential role in many different types of disputes. Most people have signed some form of an affidavit in their lifetime. They include vehicle registrations, voter registrations, driver’s license applications, and permits.

Examples of other common types of affidavits:

  • Court
  • Power of attorney
  • Financial
  • Lost documents
  • Identity theft
  • Self-proving will

Examples of scenarios where an affidavit is used:

  • Name changes
  • Divorce proceedings
  • Debt cases
  • Confirming an identity
  • Property disagreements
  • Verifying a place of residence

Writing an affidavit

When writing an affidavit, it’s critical to ensure that the document is accurate, articulate, free of grammatical or spelling errors or negative language or slang. If you are writing your affidavit, give yourself plenty of time to pay close attention to detail, revise, and proofread your document. Once you complete the final draft of your affidavit, you’ll need to seek out notary services to legalize the record officially.

Eight steps for writing an affidavit:

#1. Understand the special formatting rules that must be applied when writing an affidavit. Organize the document into the necessary sections, and be sure to number each paragraph.

#2. Organize all of your thoughts beforehand. You’ll find it significantly easier to write your affidavit when you already know precisely what needs to be written. On a separate piece of paper, write down all of the details you want to include; it’s essential to have every detail you can – big or small. Your affidavit will need to be precise and descriptive, so it’ll probably take a few attempts for you to figure out the best way to word everything.

#3. Once you have a detailed rough draft of all the information you want to include, you’ll need to give the affidavit a title. The title doesn’t have to be lengthy – use only a few words to summarize the document’s information.

For example: *Insert your name here*’s Financial Affidavit.

#4. Next, you’ll need to identify yourself using a Statement of Identity. This is necessary to acquire notary services to accurately confirm your identity before you sign the document. The Statement of Identity must include your name, age, where you work, and your home address.

#5. The purpose of an affidavit is to certify a statement as truth – you’ll need to affirm your honesty in the affidavit.

For example, I, *Insert your name here*, certify that the information provided in this affidavit is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and understanding.

#6. Take the information from your rough draft and state them as facts. There are no requirements or limits for how long this section must be, so you can take up as much space as possible. You must include every detail, but try to do so in the least number of words as possible – keep it short, sweet, and right to the point.

#7. At this point, your affidavit is almost complete; now, it’s time to revise and review everything you’ve written. Again, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to do this, and ask someone to proofread it for you if possible.

#8. Your affidavit is complete, but do not sign it until you acquire notary services. You must wait to sign your document until you’re in the presence of the person who is authorized to administer an oath. Be sure to bring valid government-issued photo identification with you when you have your affidavit notarized.

What are notary services for affidavits?

As mentioned previously, you’ll need someone who is authorized to administer an oath and provide notary services to sign and witness your signature of the affidavit. Someone certified to offer notary services could be a lawyer, notary public, and specific court and government officers. It is the responsibility of the affiant to read and understand an affidavit before signing. The person authorized to administer an oath does not have any legal obligation to review the document or give you legal advice. Their job is to verify that your signature is legitimate and that you are coherent enough and capable of understanding what you’re signing. Therefore, if you have any questions or concerns about signing an affidavit, it’s crucial to consult with a lawyer beforehand to protect yourself.