Verification. (a) Generally. A verification is a statement under oath that the pleading is true to the knowledge of the deponent, except as to matters alleged on information and belief, and that as to those matters he believes it to be true.
Unless a rule or statute specifically states otherwise, a pleading need not be verified or accompanied by an affidavit.
Typically, a plaintiff verifies a complaint by attaching a page at the end containing a statement made under oath that: The plaintiff has reviewed the complaint. The plaintiff knows or believes that all allegations that the plaintiff has personal knowledge of to be true.
The complaint should conclude with a paragraph in which the plaintiff sets forth all the relief against the defendant that he or she is seeking from the court. In certain circumstances, the complaint must be verified, which means signed in a certain format under oath, before a notary. CPLR 3020.
(c) The requirement that a document be verified means that the document must be signed or executed by a person and that the person must state under oath or affirm that the facts or matters stated or recited in the document are true, or words of that import or effect.
A complaint is considered verified if, in the complaint, the plaintiff swears under penalty of perjury that everything is true and correct. Sometimes the verification will be separate from the complaint; other times it will be included at the end of the Complaint itself.
Verification of complaints is largely optional under the CPLR. There are some statutes, however, that require a verified complaint in certain circumstances. See New York Statute Search; see also Overview – Initiating a Special Proceeding.
If the complaint was verified in an unlimited civil case, meaning the amount in dispute is over $35,000, the answer must also be verified. Every paragraph of the complaint must be answered, and a verification must be included in the response.
Verified complaints are required for certain causes of action. It is good practice for the attorney to have the complaint verified in order to insulate the attorney from improper or untrue allegations by his or her client. See Hillsborough County – 13th Circuit Court SmartRules™ procedural guide: MOTION FOR SANCTIONS.