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Divorce papers can’t be served by Facebook — at least for now

On Behalf of | Dec 9, 2016 | Divorce |

Facebook has been used for many things: keeping up with family and friends, selling things, searching for things and people and keeping track of your ex’s whereabouts. However, there may a limit as to what cannot be done on Facebook according to some judges.

According to the news in another state, a judge recently told a woman that she can’t use Facebook to notify her husband of her intent to divorce him. This ruling is in contrast to two other rulings that made it permissible to advise a spouse of an impending divorce. Those rulings were actually handed down by colleagues of the judge that said no. Those judges may have a bit more information to work with, though.

In this case, the woman said that she “had been in communication with [her husband] through Facebook.” the judge didn’t appear to believe the woman, pointing out that the Facebook account has been inactive since April 2014. The woman said the man has been gone since 2011, leaving just three months after their wedding.

At the time, she was six months pregnant. The woman thinks her husband was deported and is currently living in Saudi Arabia.

According to the woman and her attorney, every possible way to locate her husband has been attempted. She told the court she couldn’t pay the $3,000 that the Saudi Arabian newspaper wanted to post an ad about the divorce.

The judge refused to budge, saying there was simply too much at stake, with the most important being “the Constitutional right to custody and visitation” to grant the divorce without notifying her husband.

If you are having difficulty locating your spouse, an attorney may be able to help you locate him or her.

Source: The New Post, “Judge rejects divorce papers served through Facebook,” Julia Marsh, Dec. 09, 2016

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