What is an affidavit and why does it need notarisation?
An affidavit is a written statement of facts that the person making it, the deponent, confirms on oath or affirmation. Offices, institutions and authorities ask for affidavits for many everyday purposes, and they usually want the document to be attested by a notary or another authorised officer, and printed on stamp paper where the purpose needs it.
The most common affidavits partner advocates see on StampMitra are for a change of name, proof of address and an explanation of a gap year. Each is a short document, but each depends on the customer's facts being right and consistent with their identity documents, which is where careful drafting matters.
How does an affidavit case run on StampMitra?
The advocate's work follows five steps, the same shape as other drafting work on the platform.
- Accept the assignment from your inbox within the response timer
- Review the customer's details and identity documents, requesting more if something is unclear
- Draft the affidavit and share it with the customer for approval
- Complete the signing and attestation steps once the customer approves
- Deliver the signed affidavit through the portal
The service page for affidavits gives the same sequence with the documents customers provide, which are an ID proof, an address proof, supporting records and, where relevant, proof of an existing name or of a gap.
How do you draft an affidavit that stands up to scrutiny?
An affidavit records facts that the deponent confirms, so the drafting discipline is simple to state and easy to neglect. Write only what the customer has told you or documented. Do not add statements that the customer has not given you, even if they look helpful. If a fact depends on a document, check the document says the same thing.
- Match the name, parent or spouse name and address to the identity documents exactly
- Keep each paragraph to one fact, so the deponent can confirm it without hesitation
- State dates and places in full, in the form they appear on the supporting records
- Request a clearer document instead of guessing at an unreadable one
- Share the draft for approval and keep the customer's comments with the case
Because the customer approves the draft in the portal before signing, there is a record that the deponent saw the final text. That record is useful if a question comes up later about what was agreed.
How do the signing and attestation steps work?
After approval the advocate completes the signing and attestation steps supported in the portal, signing with their own Class 3 DSC and attaching the stamp details where the document needs them. Once signed, the file is kept as a fresh version in the vault, and the audit trail notes who signed, when and from which device. A later edit cannot overwrite it unnoticed, which is what gives the signed copy its weight.
Stamp requirements vary by state and by the purpose of the affidavit. Check what applies to the document and the state you are handling before you sign. The glossary entry for e-stamp gives a short overview of how electronic stamp duty works.
Where do partner notaries fit in when they launch?
Notarisation by partner notaries is launching soon. When it opens, a notary with a current appointment will complete the notarisation steps for affidavits drafted on StampMitra, keep a register entry for each notarial act and deliver the completed document to the customer. In the meantime, notaries can register their interest from the notaries page, and we contact them when notarisation opens.
| Step | Partner advocate | Partner notary (launching soon) |
|---|---|---|
| Review customer details | Yes | Not part of the role |
| Draft the affidavit | Yes | Not part of the role |
| Customer approval | Shares the draft | Not part of the role |
| Signing and attestation steps | Completes the portal steps | Completes the notarisation steps |
| Register entry | Not part of the role | Keeps an entry for each notarial act |
| Delivery to the customer | Delivers the signed affidavit | Delivers the completed document |
The requirements for notaries are indicative until launch, and the role may change. The comparison on the programme page shows the two roles side by side.
How is affidavit work paid and tracked?
After you deliver and the case is closed, the earning appears in your ledger and goes out with the next payout cycle, [Payout day] each [cycle]. The fee for each service is set in your agreement as [Fee card]. The payouts guide explains how GST and TDS appear on the statement.
Every action on the case, from the offer to the delivery, appears in the timeline and the audit trail. If a customer asks later what was done and when, the record answers it. For legal notices the stages are similar, and the legal notices guide compares them.
What should you check before delivering an affidavit?
A short final check saves a rejected document later. Open the signed file in the vault and read it once from the top as the recipient of the affidavit would, not as its drafter.
- Every name matches the identity document, letter for letter
- The purpose of the affidavit is stated clearly in the first paragraph
- Dates, places and numbers are complete and consistent across the document
- The stamp details are attached where the document needs them
- The signed version in the case is the version the customer approved
If anything is wrong, make the correction as a new draft, share it for approval again and sign the corrected version. The earlier versions stay in the case history, which is exactly what you want if a question arises later.