Facebook is a great tool for reconnecting with old friends, learning about potential job opportunities, and now… serving your spouse with divorce papers.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Matthew Cooper ruled last week that a Brooklyn nurse is “granted permission to serve defendant with the divorce summons using a private message through Facebook.”
Ellanora Baidoo, 26, married Victor Sena Blood-Dzraku in a civil ceremony in 2009. Things fell apart after he refused to have a traditional Ghanian wedding with both of their families afterwards, according to the New York Daily News, which was the first to report the story. Blood-Dzraku has been elusive ever since; he left his apartment without a forwarding address, has no DMV record, and has no fixed place of employment.
He has, however, kept in touch from time to time with his wife on Facebook. And so, the social networking site has been deemed an appropriate place to serve Blood-Dzraku with a summons for a divorce proceeding:
“[The] transmittal shall be repeated by plaintiff’s attorney to defendant once a week for three consecutive weeks or until acknowledged by the defendant,” the ruling states. “Additionally, after the initial transmittal, plaintiff and her attorney are to call and text message defendant to inform him that the summons for divorce has been sent to him via Facebook.”
Baidoo might not be able to change her relationship status to single just yet, though. As her lawyer told the NYDN, “So far, [Blood-Dzraku] hasn’t responded.”
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