Affidavit, << `af` uh DAY viht, >> in law, is a written or printed statement of facts sworn to, or affirmed, before a court bailiff, a notary public, or any other person qualified to administer an oath. The person who swears to the truth of an affidavit usually must sign it.
In the United States, affidavits can be introduced as evidence in a few stages of legal proceedings. But judges and lawyers generally consider affidavits less reliable evidence than oral testimony given by a witness in open court. The reason is that an affidavit may be signed and sworn to without the presence of an adversary to contradict it if it misstates the facts. Oral testimony given in open court may be questioned by the attorney for the opposing party.
Affidavits are widely used in preliminary legal proceedings. For example, when the plaintiff files a written complaint to start a lawsuit, the law may require that the plaintiff include an affidavit of the truth of the charges.
