Divorce Papers Via Facebook? Manhattan Supreme Court Issues Controversial Ruling

Changing one's marital status is now as easy as changing one's status in social media.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Matthew Cooper has penned a landmark ruling allowing a Brooklyn woman to serve her elusive husband with divorce papers through a Facebook message.

Ellanora Baidoo, a 26-year-old nurse, "is granted permission to serve defendant with the divorce summons using a private message through Facebook," Cooper wrote. Her lawyer can now send a message to Victor Sena Blood-Dzraku through Baidoo's account.

"This transmittal shall be repeated by plaintiff's attorney to defendant once a week for three consecutive weeks or until acknowledged" by Baidoo's evasive spouse.

Andrew Spinnell, her lawyer, commented: "I think it's new law, and it's necessary."

Baidoo and Blood-Dzraku got hitched in a civil wedding ceremony back in 2009. However, their union collapsed when Blood-Dzraku broke his promise to have a traditional Ghanaian wedding ceremony as well, Spinnell said.

Both parties are from Ghana.

"She wanted their families there," said Spinnell.

The marriage was never consummated as a result. Baidoo and Blood-Dzraku never lived together, but the latter refuses to have a divorce, said the lawyer. He only kept in contact with his wife by phone and Facebook.

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 ruling further read: "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 lawyer said they already "tried everything, including hiring a private detective — and nothing."

Spinnell already sent the first Facebook message to Blood-Dzraku. "So far, he hasn't responded," he said.