What Is an Affidavit? How to Get it Notarized.
A notarized affidavit is a critical piece of evidence in any court case, but these documents can also be important outside the courtroom.
Pat Kinsel
September 5, 2017
3 min
If you’ve ever invested in a Saturday afternoon Law & Order marathon, there’s a chance the term “affidavit” sounds familiar to you. The term is often used in a courtroom setting, and is deemed an important document in any case.
So what is an affidavit, and why are they so important?
How to Prepare an Affidavit
An affidavit is a document written statement filed by an affiant as evidence in court. In order to be admissible, affidavits must be notarized by a notary public.
There are two types of judicial notarizations: an acknowledgement and a jurat.
The notary public is there to ensure the validity of the signature and guarantee that the signature was applied voluntarily and without coercion. Once the affiant acknowledges signing the document for its intended purpose and signs the affidavit, the document is notarized and becomes a sworn affidavit.
While the terms “affiant” and “affidavit” are most often used in a courtroom setting, there are other times where you might hear these terms. Depending on your state of residence, an affidavit may be required for certain transactions. For example, if you live in Michigan, and you wish to gift your car to your son in Florida, you may be asked to file an affidavit.
Expediting the Legal Process
Despite their importance, getting documents notarized is incredibly frustrating. For over 100 years, customers needed to find, schedule, and visit a notary public in-person to have their signature verified.
Court cases may take a long time to resolve, but getting your affidavit notarized doesn’t have to.
Notarize eliminates the hassle tied to in-person notarizations by allowing you to connect with a notary public instantly online or by Downloading the Notarize Mobile App. Our agents can sign your documents in as little as five minutes, and they are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sign up alongside thousands of happy customers who have found an easier, more efficient way to meet their notarization needs. Our app holds a 4.9 out of 5 rating in the iOS App Store with over 2,000 reviews, and a 9.4 out of 10 rating on Trustpilot with over 500 reviews.
How Does Notarize Work?
We work with your schedule, not the other way around. To get your document notarized by a notary public, simply Download the Notarize Mobile App or Connect with a Notary Public Online and follow these steps:
- Upload any document, but do not sign it before uploading it. You must sign before the notary public.
- Fill out the document using Notarize’s digital tools.
- Validate your identity.
- When ready, you’ll be prompted to connect in a live video call with a commissioned electronic notary public. You have access to a notary 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Sign using your computer, iPhone, or Android device as the notary public watches over live video.
- Wait as the notary public notarizes your document online. The average wait time is about 60 seconds.
- You’re done! Download your notarized PDF.
Ready to get that document notarized? Visit Notarize to get started.
