When you sign in to your LinkedIn account you might be surprised by something nasty. Like legal papers. Last week, for the first time ever, a High Court judge approved an order to allow a liquidator to serve a person connected with a liquidated firm with papers through site LinkedIn.

On Wednesday, Judge Bronagh O'Hanlon permitted a liquidator to serve papers on a person connected with the Irish Education and Research Institute, which also traded as the Irish Business School. The school, which taught English to foreign students, closed suddenly in May. Accountancy firm PFK O'Connor, Leddy and Holmes was appointed as liquidator to the firm but could not contact the relevant person by email, fax or postal address.

Declan de Lacy, director of advisory and insolvency at PKF O'Connor, Leddy and Holmes, noted that the liquidators had tried to serve papers but that the individual could not be reached, except through a LinkedIn account. "We put the circumstances on affidavit and asked for an order allowing us to serve papers through a LinkedIn page by sending them a message with the details of the case and a link to the URL where the papers are served," de Lacy said. The request to have the notice served through LinkedIn was granted by the judge once she was satisfied that the account was active. De Lacy added that technology on sites such as LinkedIn indicates to users if a message has been seen and read which proves that the document has been delivered.

This is the second case in Ireland where a judge has granted approval to serve proceedings via social media. Two years ago, Judge Peart allowed for an order to be served using the social media site Facebook.

Sunday Indo Business