It used to be that, when you wanted to slap someone with a lawsuit, you'd have to hunt them down the old-fashioned way—on foot, just like mom used to do. But now, a Family Court official has ruled for the very first time in the United States (it's already common practice in Europe) that yes, you can indeed serve legal papers over Facebook.


The ruling came after a Staten Island man had been (unsuccesfully) attempting to serve his ex-wife with a legal notice declaring his decision to stop paying child support. When the man's ex-wife continued to evade him, he decided that there's no reason her "active social media account with Facebook" shouldn't count as legal contact. Apparently, the judge agreed. According to lawyer Michael Stutman, head of family law at Mishcon de Reya in Manhattan:

The idea that physically handing someone a piece of paper is the only way to serve notice is archaic.


In other words, it's time to start thinking twice before poking back. [NY Post]

Image via Sukharevskyy Dmytro/Shutterstock