A pauper's oath is a sworn statement or oath by a person of being completely destitute or a pauper, without much money or property. A person without the ability to pay court costs, also known as "being indigent", has the option to swear a pauper's oath to file a lawsuit without paying filing fees. Prisoners filing legal actions often use a pauper's oath because persons in prison are often completely without money or any means of acquiring any.