April 06, 2015
A husband who has eluded divorce papers from his wife can be served through Facebook, the New York Daily News reports.
The ruling came in favor of 26-year-old nurse Ellanora Baidoo, whose lawyer will be permitted to deliver the divorce summons through a private Facebook message.
The decision comes after Baidoo was limited to minimal contact with her husband, Sena Blood-Dzraku, and exhausted options including hiring a private investigator to try to find him since their relationship quickly deteriorated following a 2009 wedding. Originally from Ghana, the spouse's marriage went south after Blood-Dzraku went back on a promise to hold a traditional Ghanian wedding ceremony in addition to their original vows.
The missing husband hasn't had a listed address since 2011, has no place of employment and hasn't cooperated in being available for the divorce papers.
The Manhattan Supreme Court set an interesting precedent in the ruling for spouses who dodge their husband and wife looking for a split by permitting divorce papers to be served via social media. Andrew Spinelli, Baidoo's lawyer, told the Daily News it was a needed decision:
“I think it’s new law, and it’s necessary.”
Baidoo remained in occasional contact with her husband through Facebook and telephone despite not being able to track him down. Now, Blood-Dzraku has received the summons via Facebook message and will continue to receive a notice for three weeks, or until he responds.
