Affidavit
A written statement of facts that you sign and swear is true, under penalty of perjury.
An affidavit is a written document where you put facts into writing and then sign it under oath, swearing that everything in it is true. A notary public or other authorized person typically witnesses your signature.
Courts rely on affidavits when they need to consider facts without live testimony. For example, if you are asking the court for a temporary order, you would write out the relevant facts in an affidavit and file it with your motion.
Why it matters: Lying in an affidavit is perjury, which is a crime. Courts take affidavits seriously because the person signing one has sworn to tell the truth.
Example: In a family law case, you might file an affidavit describing your income, living situation, and parenting arrangement to support a custody motion.
Court filings, family law cases, motions, and applications for court orders