An affidavit is a written statement that is sworn to be true before an official such as a notary public. It is a legally binding document that is used to provide factual information or evidence in a court of law, for a legal proceeding, or to simply state facts for an interested party such as a school board or an insurance company.

Affidavits can be used in a variety of legal proceedings, including civil and criminal trials, divorce proceedings, and immigration cases. They can be used to provide evidence of facts such as the date of birth, address, or income of a person, or to provide evidence of events that occurred, such as a car accident.

Louisiana Affidavits can be informal or written as what is referred to as an Authentic Act and must be signed by the person making the statement in front of a notary public and sometimes witnesses. The notary public will then affix their seal to the document, certifying that the person making the statement swore to its truthfulness.

It is important to note that providing false information in an affidavit can be a serious offense and can result in criminal charges. Therefore, it is important to only provide information that is true and accurate when making an affidavit.