Affidavits?

[Kajikit 65]

Do the darned things HAVE to be notarised? It doesn't say anything about them needing to be notarised in the notes with the application... it just says that they have to include full name, place of birth, and full details of how they know you. What's the difference between an 'affidavit' and a regular letter anyway? We're getting one from our next door neighbour and the elder at our church and they're both like 'you write out what it has to say and we'll sign it for you'. I figure that the letter has to say something like 'My name is Fred Nerk and I've known John and Karen since Karen moved in in November 2004, I'm their next-door neighbour (blah blah blah)' Is that enough?

DH wants me to have this stupid application all organised by the time we go on vacation next Wednesday, so we're running out of time!

[Permanent Ban 0]

Do the darned things HAVE to be notarised? It doesn't say anything about them needing to be notarised in the notes with the application... it just says that they have to include full name, place of birth, and full details of how they know you. What's the difference between an 'affidavit' and a regular letter anyway? We're getting one from our next door neighbour and the elder at our church and they're both like 'you write out what it has to say and we'll sign it for you'. I figure that the letter has to say something like 'My name is Fred Nerk and I've known John and Karen since Karen moved in in November 2004, I'm their next-door neighbour (blah blah blah)' Is that enough?

DH wants me to have this stupid application all organised by the time we go on vacation next Wednesday, so we're running out of time!

An affidavit, by definition, requires an oath or affirmation. I can't administer an oath but a notary public can. So can a judge, but notaries are easier to get hold of

The difference between an affidavit and "just a letter" is that a regular letter probably doesn't come with an oath/affirmation. An affidavit must.

More detail from the state of New Jersey's "Notary Public Manual" can be found at http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/revenue/dc...otarymanual.htm. Pay specially close attention to the difference between an "acknowledgement" (i.e. a regular letter) and an oath/affirmation (which is what makes an affidavit).

[James 2]

Do the darned things HAVE to be notarised? It doesn't say anything about them needing to be notarised in the notes with the application... it just says that they have to include full name, place of birth, and full details of how they know you. What's the difference between an 'affidavit' and a regular letter anyway? We're getting one from our next door neighbour and the elder at our church and they're both like 'you write out what it has to say and we'll sign it for you'. I figure that the letter has to say something like 'My name is Fred Nerk and I've known John and Karen since Karen moved in in November 2004, I'm their next-door neighbour (blah blah blah)' Is that enough?

DH wants me to have this stupid application all organised by the time we go on vacation next Wednesday, so we're running out of time!

Just out of curiosity, what do you think the instructions mean when they say "sworn affidavit"? As arijit implied, a sworn affidavit means that the notary has administered an oath, not just acknowledged the signature.

Here is the example sworn affidavit from the pinned thread. (Note that "United States Customs and Immigration Service" on the first line should be changed to "United States Citizenship and Immigration Service.")

[Jasman0717 9]

Do the darned things HAVE to be notarised? It doesn't say anything about them needing to be notarised in the notes with the application... it just says that they have to include full name, place of birth, and full details of how they know you. What's the difference between an 'affidavit' and a regular letter anyway? We're getting one from our next door neighbour and the elder at our church and they're both like 'you write out what it has to say and we'll sign it for you'. I figure that the letter has to say something like 'My name is Fred Nerk and I've known John and Karen since Karen moved in in November 2004, I'm their next-door neighbour (blah blah blah)' Is that enough?

DH wants me to have this stupid application all organised by the time we go on vacation next Wednesday, so we're running out of time!

An affidavit, by definition, requires an oath or affirmation. I can't administer an oath but a notary public can. So can a judge, but notaries are easier to get hold of

The difference between an affidavit and "just a letter" is that a regular letter probably doesn't come with an oath/affirmation. An affidavit must.

More detail from the state of New Jersey's "Notary Public Manual" can be found at http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/revenue/dc...otarymanual.htm. Pay specially close attention to the difference between an "acknowledgement" (i.e. a regular letter) and an oath/affirmation (which is what makes an affidavit).

My daughter tells me that she can take and record an oath, she is a notary here in California

[James 2]

My daughter tells me that she can take and record an oath, she is a notary here in California

. . .

Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer and anything posted is just my own opinion

Uh -- never mind.

[Kajikit 65]

Just out of curiosity, what do you think the instructions mean when they say "sworn affidavit"? As arijit implied, a sworn affidavit means that the notary has administered an oath, not just acknowledged the signature.

Here is the example sworn affidavit from the pinned thread. (Note that "United States Customs and Immigration Service" on the first line should be changed to "United States Citizenship and Immigration Service.")

I'm not a lawyer. How am I supposed to know what they want from me? I 'thought' that meant they just had to write on the letter that it was true. You don't HAVE to have one anyway so I won't bother... I'll just pray that we have enough evidence of our quiet little married life to get passed.

Edited October 17, 2007 by Kajikit

[Jasman0717 9]

My daughter tells me that she can take and record an oath, she is a notary here in California

. . .

Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer and anything posted is just my own opinion

Uh -- never mind.

During the attorney wars it was recommended we put something like that in our signature.

[Permanent Ban 0]

Just out of curiosity, what do you think the instructions mean when they say "sworn affidavit"? As arijit implied, a sworn affidavit means that the notary has administered an oath, not just acknowledged the signature.

Here is the example sworn affidavit from the pinned thread. (Note that "United States Customs and Immigration Service" on the first line should be changed to "United States Citizenship and Immigration Service.")

I'm not a lawyer. How am I supposed to know what they want from me? I 'thought' that meant they just had to write on the letter that it was true. You don't HAVE to have one anyway so I won't bother... I'll just pray that we have enough evidence of our quiet little married life to get passed.

It's actually very little effort, why not do it?

[Kajikit 65]

DH says he knows a notary... so I guess we'll be able to do it after all. I'm in a major time crunch for other stuff here. We're going on vacation next week and DH wanted the application done before then, but I told him last night it's just NOT GONNA HAPPEN! It can wait till we get back and I'm not so stressed...