Serving Divorce Papers by Facebook

Social media is impacting family law in a variety of ways. One of the most significant examples occurred recently when a New York City woman was granted permission to be the first person to legally file for divorce using a Facebook message.

Matthew Cooper, a Manhattan Supreme Court Justice, ruled that Ellanora Baidoo’s hard-to-find husband, Victor Sena Blood-Dzraku, could be served with the divorce summons by using a private Facebook message. The message must be repeated once a week for three consecutive weeks or until Blood-Dzraku acknowledges receipt of it.

Baidoo and Blood-Dzraku were married via a civil ceremony in 2009. Apparently, the marriage began to crumble when Blood-Dzraku failed to carry out his promise to wed Baidoo in a traditional Ghanaian wedding ceremony. In fact, because the couple who are both from Ghana never had the traditional wedding ceremony, they have never consummated their marriage or lived together. The court’s ruling notes that Blood-Dzraku has only contacted his wife by calling her or using Facebook.

In support of serving the defendant by using Facebook, Baidoo informed the court that the last-known address for Blood-Dzraku was an apartment that he vacated in 2011. Further, he has told Baidoo that in their telephone conversations that he does not have a fixed address and that he is currently unemployed. He also refused to accept the divorce papers voluntarily. True to his word, Blood-Dzraku has not responded to the first Facebook message sent to him regarding the divorce summons.

If you have a spouse that is refusing to correspond with you outside of social media, this ruling may provide you with hope in obtaining your divorce. Don’t stay trapped in an unhappy marriage – let us help.

Whether your divorce is amicable or full of disputes, we are here to help. Contact the knowledgeable attorneys at the Men’s Divorce Law Firm. Our office is located in Orlando, Florida, but we proudly serve husbands and fathers across the State. The firm also serves men out of state with child custody interests in Florida.