A jurat is a legal term used to describe the certification or verification of a document by a notary public or other authorised official. When a document requires a jurat, the individual signing the document must appear before the notary or official and swear or affirm, under oath, that the contents of the document are true and accurate. The notary or official then completes the jurat by certifying that the individual signed the document in their presence, administered the oath or affirmation, and witnessed the individual’s signature. The jurat typically includes details such as the date, location, and name of the individual signing the document, as well as the signature and seal of the notary or official. Documents with a jurat are often used in legal proceedings, contracts, affidavits, and other situations where it is important to authenticate the validity of the information contained in the document.
A person who has taken an oath or who performs a duty on oath, e.g. a juror.
(jur-at) n. Latin for “been sworn,” the portion of an affidavit in which a person has sworn that the contents of his/her written statement are true, filled in by the notary public with the date, name of the person swearing, sometimes the place where sworn, and the name of the person before whom the oath was made. It reads generally: “Sworn to this 12th day of October, 1994, by Martha J. Milner, before me, a notary public for said state and county. Barbara A. Stenerson, Notary Public.” A jurat is not to be confused with an “acknowledgment” in which the signer of a document such as a deed to real property has sworn to the notary public that he/she executed the document, and the notary signs and seals the document to that effect.
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This glossary post was last updated: 29th March 2024.
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