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Judge Allows Divorce Papers To Be Served Via Facebook

Posted by samzenpus on from the I-unfriend-you dept.

An anonymous reader writes Want to divorce your husband or wife but can't give them the papers in person? Just use Facebook. No, apparently this isn't a late April Fools' joke. The New York Daily News reports Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Matthew Cooper has allowed 26-year-old Ellanora Baidoo to serve her husband Victor Sena Blood-Dzraku divorce papers via a Facebook message. In fact, Baidoo won't even be the one sending the message. Her lawyer has been granted permission to message Blood-Dzraku using her account. "This transmittal shall be repeated by plaintiff's attorney to defendant once a week for three consecutive weeks or until acknowledged," the ruling states.

8 of 95 comments (clear)

  1. Not really out of the ordinary by ModernGeek · · Score: 4, Informative

    People that can't be found via their last known address, found by the police, or at a workplace are normally hiding from the law, and can be, with permission from the court, served by things such as notice in the newspaper several times. If they can't be found through friends, relatives, employers, etc, similar tactics have been used in similar cases.

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  2. Can you blame her? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    With a name like Victor Sena Blood-Dzraku her husband is obviously a vampire or something. I would want to deliver divorce papers from as far away as possible too.

  3. Still No Word... by Greyfox · · Score: 3, Funny

    There's still no word on delivering them via catapult. The law seems to frown on this particular method.

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    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  4. Re:I'm not surprised by Aighearach · · Score: 4, Informative

    It isn't news anyways. The harder a person makes themselves to be served legal papers, the more permissive the courts are in how service may be performed. Avoiding service is not intended by the courts to be a winning strategy, and they work hard to get around abusers and find a good-enough means of service. That is how they balance against the strict requirements to serve the papers. After all, if you're trying that hard to avoid receiving legal paperwork, you probably do actually know about it.

  5. Good reason to get rid of your Facebook Account by avandesande · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You could end up with a contempt of court charge or a default decision if you don't check it regularly.

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    love is just extroverted narcissism
    1. Re:Good reason to get rid of your Facebook Account by bws111 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      By the time it gets to this stage they have already given up on trying to find you. You are already on your way to a default judgement, this is just a courtesy to you to give you an opportunity to defend yourself. Getting rid of your Facebook account would do absolutely nothing to help you, it would just make it more likely you would never see a notice.

  6. Re:I'm not surprised by sycodon · · Score: 4, Funny

    Next, one spouse will just have to proclaim loudly, "I divorce thee, I divorce thee, I divorce thee!"

    Done. Easy as Pie.

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    When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
  7. Data mining by CanadianMacFan · · Score: 4, Funny

    Great now Facebook can data mine that you are getting court papers and start serving up ads for divorce lawyers.