Difference Between Affidavit and Notary

Affidavit vs Notary

There are many situations in life when one needs legal documents to support his claims. Often there is a necessity of an affidavit when a person is trying to obtain legal certificates such as driver’s license, telephone connection, or when buying or selling a property. This is a document that contains facts or information believed to be true and correct by the person and gets legal force when it is signed by a public notary. However, there are many who cannot differentiate between a notary and an affidavit. This article will highlight these differences for the benefit of the readers.

Affidavit

What do you do when you move to a new place and require a gas connection but do not have an address proof to submit to the gas company? This, and scores of such circumstances require you to buttress your claim through a legal document that certifies the claims made by you. This is where an affidavit comes handy. It is a document that contains facts and information you believe to be true and becomes legal when you sign it in the presence of a legal authority known as a notary or an oaths commissioner.

Notary

A notary is a person who has legal qualifications and is authorized to perform in legal matters, especially those that are not contentious and merely require him to certify the claims made by common people, acting as a witness and giving his stamp of approval. A notary is in legal profession just like attorneys though he has somewhat lesser credentials and powers than a full fledged lawyer. There are different nomenclatures in different countries who perform the role of a verifying officer. In many countries, he is known as a notary public while in other places he is also referred to as a Signing Agent.