When it is used
- Supporting a court application or petition with sworn facts.
- Name or date-of-birth correction, address proof or a gap in records for a government office, bank or university.
- Declarations such as income, residence, single status or loss of documents.
- Undertakings asked for by an authority before it acts on your request.
General affidavit format
Replace everything in [square brackets] and delete the options that don't apply.
BEFORE THE [NOTARY PUBLIC / OATH COMMISSIONER / EXECUTIVE MAGISTRATE], AT [PLACE] [If filed in a case: IN THE COURT OF ____ ; Case No. ____ of ____ ; Party A vs. Party B] AFFIDAVIT I, [full name], [son / daughter / wife] of [father's / husband's name], aged about [___] years, [occupation], residing at [full address], do hereby solemnly affirm and declare as under: 1. That I am the deponent herein and am fully conversant with the facts stated in this affidavit, and competent to swear to them. 2. That [first fact, e.g. my name is recorded as "____" in my Class X certificate and as "____" in my passport; both names refer to me, one and the same person]. 3. That [second fact]. 4. That [third fact, if any]. 5. That this affidavit is made for submission to [authority / court] for the purpose of [purpose], and for no other purpose. DEPONENT VERIFICATION Verified at [place] on this [day] day of [month], [year] that the contents of paragraphs 1 to [___] of the above affidavit are true and correct to my knowledge, [paragraphs ___ are true to my information received and believed to be true,] no part of it is false and nothing material has been concealed therefrom. DEPONENT [Attestation: signature, name, seal and registration number of the Notary / Oath Commissioner, with date]
Before you use it
A false statement in an affidavit can be prosecuted as false evidence (Sections 227 and 229 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, formerly Sections 191 and 193 IPC). Stamp paper and attestation rules differ by State and authority, and courts often prescribe their own format for affidavits filed with pleadings. This is a general format for information, not legal advice. Adapt it to your facts, your court and your State's rules, and have an advocate check it.
What to include
- Deponent's full name, parentage, age, occupation and address, matching their ID.
- Short, numbered paragraphs, one fact each.
- The purpose and the authority or court it is for.
- A verification clause saying which paragraphs are from personal knowledge and which from information.
- Signature of the deponent on each page and at the end.
- Attestation by a Notary, Oath Commissioner or Magistrate, with seal and date.
- Stamp paper of the value your State and purpose require, if any.
Common mistakes
- Stating opinions, arguments or legal conclusions instead of facts.
- A verification clause that does not match the paragraphs.
- Signing before the attesting officer has identified the deponent.
- Using an old affidavit for a new purpose; many authorities want a recent one.
Draft it with AI instead
In Xegality Drafting, describe the facts in English, Hindi or Hinglish and the AI drafts the affidavit for you. You can then check citations and risks, share it with your client for approval, and keep it with the case in your case diary.
