The affidavit of heirship document is used to declare who the heirs of a deceased person are. It is commonly used to establish ownership of personal and real property when the deceased has not left a will. An affidavit of heirship is used to establish ownership of property when the deceased failed to execute a will. The affidavit of heirship may be filed with the deed records of the county in which the property lies. In its basic form, the affidavit of heirship begins by stating under oath that there is a relationship between the people mentioned in the document, referred to as affiant and heirs, and the decedent.