Judge allows divorce papers to be served via Facebook
Facebook has been a place for people to promote their newly single status for years, but now it also has the power to help people legally reclaim their single life.
In a landmark ruling, a New York City judge had declared that Facebook messages are an acceptable way to serve divorce papers, according to the New York Daily Post.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Matthew Cooper has given permission for a nurse named Ellanora Baidoo to serve her elusive husband Victor Sena Blood-Dzraku through a private message on Facebook.
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Her lawyer Andrew Spinnell will message Mr Blood-Dzraku, through her account, once a week for three consecutive weeks or until Mr Blood-Dzraku acknowledges it.
While the first Facebook message was sent out last week, Mr Blood-Drzaku has yet to respond.
Mr Spinnell said the new law was necessary and noted that it had been incredibly difficult to try serve Mr Blood-Szraku by traditional methods.
“We tried everything, including hiring a private detective — and nothing,” Mr Spinnell said.
Mr Blood-Dzraku who has no fixed address or place of employment, occasionally keeps in touch with his 26-year-old wife on the phone and through Facebook, the ruling said according to New York Daily News.
The post office has no forwarding address for Mr Blood-Dzraku, who refused to make himself available to be served divorced papers.
'There is no billing address linked to his prepaid cell phone, and the Department of Motor Vehicles has no record of him,' the ruling added.
Mr Spinnell says the couple married in a civil ceremony in 2009, but noted that the relationship began to unravel when the defendant reneged on his promise to a traditional Ghanaian wedding ceremony as well.
As a result, the couple from Ghana never consummated their marriage and the husband and wife never lived together.
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