Short answer. Generally, no verification is needed. Section 4 of Rule 7 states pleadings need not be under oath or verified, except when the law or a rule specifically requires it. Where verification is required, the affiant must attest to specific facts, and a defective verification is treated as an unsigned pleading.
What the law says
Except when otherwise specifically required by law or rule, pleadings need not be under oath or verified.
Rule 7, Section 4 — Verification. Read the full provision →
What the law says
A pleading required to be verified that contains a verification based on "information and belief," or upon "knowledge, information and belief," or lacks a proper verification, shall be treated as an unsigned pleading.
Rule 7, Section 4 — Verification. Read the full provision →
Verification is the exception, not the rule
Section 4 opens with the default: except when otherwise specifically required by law or rule, pleadings need not be under oath or verified. This means ordinary pleadings can generally be filed with just a signature, and a party should not assume verification is required unless a specific statute or Rules provision says so for that particular kind of pleading, since treating verification as a universal default would add an unnecessary formality to routine filings. This default binds the pleader filing the document; it does not bind the court to reject a pleading that happens to be verified even when verification was not actually required, since an unnecessary verification does not itself make an otherwise proper pleading defective.
How verification works when it is required
When verification is required, it is done through an affidavit by someone duly authorized to sign it, with the authorization — a secretary's certificate or special power of attorney, for instance — attached to the pleading. The verification must attest to three things: that the allegations are true and correct based on personal knowledge or authentic documents; that the pleading is not filed to harass, delay, or needlessly increase litigation costs; and that the factual allegations have (or will have) evidentiary support. A verification signed by someone without the proper authorization attached is treated no differently than one that was never executed at all.
Consequences of a defective verification
Section 4 treats a defective verification harshly: a pleading required to be verified but verified only on 'information and belief' or on 'knowledge, information and belief,' or one lacking a proper verification altogether, shall be treated as an unsigned pleading. Since unsigned pleadings generally have no legal effect, this makes getting the verification right — where it is required at all — a matter with real procedural consequences, not just a formality, and a defect here can jeopardize the pleading's standing in the case entirely. The court is not obliged to accept a curative amendment after the fact; the safer course is simply to get the verification right before filing.