Ellanora Baidoo wanted a divorce, but she told a judge, she couldn’t find her husband. So in a landmark case, she and her attorney asked to be allowed to serve the papers through the social media site.
The judge, said yes.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Matthew Cooper decreed Baiddo "is granted permission to serve the defendant with the divorce summons using a private message through Facebook."
And if husband Victor Sena Blood-Dzraku doesn’t respond? “This transmittal shall be repeated by plaintiff’s attorney to defendant once a week for three consecutive weeks or until acknowledged” Cooper said.
Baidoo's lawyer, Andrew Spinnell told the New York Daily News, "I think it's new law, and it's necessary."
The couple were married during a civil ceremony in 2009. However, a disagreement began almost immediately when Blood-Dzraku didn’t carry through on his promise to have a traditional Ghanaian wedding ceremony.
Spinnell told the paper the marriage was never consummated, and the two went their separate ways.
The two remained in touch via social media and the occasional phone call. The first message was sent last week but “so far, he hasn’t responded,” Spinnell concluded.
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