under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on (date). Where allowed, such an endorsement gives the document the same weight as an affidavit, per The document is called a sworn declaration or sworn statement instead of an affidavit, and the maker is called a "declarant" rather than an "affiant", but other than this difference in terminology, the two are treated identically by the court. A sworn declaration used in place of an affidavit must be specifically authorized by statute. The federal courts and a few states have general statutes allowing a sworn declaration in any matter where an affidavit can be used. In other cases, sworn statements are allowed for some purposes, but not others. One drawback to the use of a sworn statement while the protection of liability for perjury is retained, the protection is lost of having an independent official witness the signing, check the affiant's identification, etc. That function is essentially taken over by the attorney for the party in whose favor the affidavit is given; the court relies upon the honesty of the attorney, or, perhaps more realistically, upon the attorney's fear of being disbarred, to guarantee that the declarant is competent to testify, is who he says he is, and has actually sworn to the truth of the facts stated. Another incentive for attorneys to make sure that the text of a declaration precisely matches the declarant's recollection is that the witness may be subject to impeachment at trial if discrepancies between the declaration and any later testimony turn out to be significant. Another more practical drawback is the conservative nature of the law. Even if use of a sworn statement is fully authorized, another individual to the transaction, such as a party to a business transaction or another person's attorney, may be unacquainted with the form and refuse to accept it in lieu of a notarized affidavit. See also Affidavit Oath Statutory declaration References Legal documents