Ghanaian woman allowed to serve divorce papers on Facebook
A Ghanaian nurse based in Brooklyn, Ellanora Baidoo has been allowed to serve her husband with divorce papers through Facebook.
In an interview with New York’s Daily News, the woman’s lawyer, Andrew Spinnel said his client married Victor Sena Blood-Dzraku in a civil ceremony back in 2009, but their relationship crumbled when her husband defaulted on his promise to have a traditional Ghanaian wedding ceremony as well.
As a result, the wedding was never consummated and the husband and wife never lived together, the lawyer said — but Blood-Dzraku apparently still doesn’t want a divorce.
Victor Sena Blood-Dzraku, apparently has no fixed address and has only kept in touch with his wife by phone and the social networking site.
In a landmark ruling, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Matthew Cooper is allowing the nurse to legally change her relationship status to “single” via Facebook.
NO FIXED ADDRESS
“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.
“We tried everything, including hiring a private detective — and nothing,” Spinnell said.
The first Facebook message went out to the husband last week. “So far, he hasn’t responded,” Spinnell said.