A scrivener's affidavit is a legal affidavit is a written statement made under oath, witnessed by a Notary Public. Legal documents submitted to a court usually require that signed affidavits or certificates to their authenticity be added prior to submission. Many types of affidavits exist, including the scrivener's affidavit. This affidavit statement added to an existing document correcting an error, usually clerical. This type of affidavit affirms that specific clerical errors made in an existing legal document have been corrected. Property deeds, deeds of trust and bills of property all use a scrivener's affidavit to affirm clerical corrections.
Missouri law allows consideration of "extrinsic or external proof" to clarify the description of property intended to be conveyed by an instrument, and an Affidavit of Correction can provide that clarification.
