New York Court Permits to Serve Divorce Papers via Facebook

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Matthew Cooper said that the nurse Ellanora Baidoo can serve her elusive husband with divorce papers through a social networking site ‘Facebook’ via message. The court has taken this unusual step for the reasons that husband Victor Sena Blood-Dzraku has been otherwise unresponsive to all other ways of communication with his wife. It is reported that the couple hails from Ghana and were married in 2009. The relationship soured after the husband, Victor Sena Blood-Dzraku, broke his promise to hold a traditional Ghanaian ceremony.

Plaintiff Baidoo’s attorney Andrew Spinnell has stated that they have tried all possible ways to contact plaintiff’s husband including hiring of a private detective as well but nothing worked out. Further, as per court filings, Blood-Dzraku has only been in contact with his wife on the phone and on Facebook. On one occasion, Baidoo has spoken to defendant over telephone informing her that he has no fixed address and no place of employment.

While allowing serving divorce papers through Facebook messages, Justice Cooper observed that “[The] post office has no forwarding address for him, there is no billing address linked to his prepaid cell phone, and the Department of Motor Vehicles has no record of him.” Consequently, the ruling reads that the transmittal of divorce papers shall be repeated by plaintiff’s attorney to defendant once a week for three consecutive weeks or until acknowledged and that this will be done by the attorney for Baidoo through Baidoo’s Facebook account.

It seems serving documents through social networking sites is getting more popular these days. In another incident, a New York City Family Court ruled in September that a man could serve his wife with notice pursuant to child support.