§ 303 Verification All pleadings shall be verified in the manner provided by CPLR 3020

Every written document you file in Surrogate's Court, like a petition or an answer, must be verified. Verifying a document means you are swearing or affirming that the facts in it are true to the best of your knowledge. You do this by signing a statement, usually in front of a notary, confirming the information is accurate.

The rule points to another law, CPLR 3020, which lays out the exact steps for verifying a document. This usually means adding a short signed statement at the end of your paperwork. If you are filing something with the court, you cannot skip this step. Leaving out the verification can cause delays or problems with your case, since the document may not be accepted as properly filed.

If someone else signs on your behalf, like a lawyer or another authorized person, the same rules still apply. The goal is to make sure everyone submitting paperwork to the court is standing behind what they wrote and can be held responsible if the information turns out to be false.