I'm not usually one to concern myself with "the sanctity of marriage," but this is really something. A New York City judge has granted a woman permission to legally file for divorce via Facebook, as her husband has all but disappeared completely. But he still makes contact on social media from time to time!
According to the New York Daily News, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Matthew Cooper will allow Brooklyn nurse Ellanora Baidoo to serve her husband with divorce summons in a private Facebook message once a week for three consecutive weeks, or until her estranged partner "acknowledges" the papers. Baidoo's "elusive" husband, Victor Sena Blood-Dzraku, has proven difficult to track down since he reneged on his promise to have a traditional Ghanaian wedding several years ago, following the couple's 2009 civil ceremony and subsequent disintegration of their marriage:
He kept in touch with his wife by phone and Facebook — but that was it, the ruling says.
The “last address plaintiff has for defendant is an apartment that he vacated in 2011,” Cooper said. Baidoo “has spoken with defendant by telephone on occasion and he has told her that he has no fixed address and no place of employment. He has also refused to make himself available to be served with divorce papers.”
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,” the ruling says.
Baidoo's lawyer, Andrew Spinnell, told the Daily News his client went so far as to hire a private detective, but still turned up nothing on her missing mate. Cooper's ruling has already gone into effect, and the first Facebook summons has been delivered.
"I think it’s new law, and it’s necessary," Spinnell said. "So far, [Blood-Dzraku] hasn’t responded."
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