The First Facebook Divorce

Well, it had to happen at some point. The Daily Mail is reporting that the first ever "Facebook divorce" has occurred in Lancashire, England. How is that legally binding, you ask? Well, it's not. But telling someone you want a divorce via Facebook pretty much guarantees your spouse isn't going to contest it. I don't think you can realistically "work things out" after that.

Apparently Emma Brady only learned that her husband, Neil, was through with her after her Facebook friends began calling.

It's nice that they thought to use telephones and speech, things that must have been deemed too tough for Mr. Brady.

And in true internet fashion, someone actually commented on the "divorce" before Mrs. Brady could see it. The comment? Mr. Brady was "better off out of it." And the commenter? A Canadian woman, sitting thousands of miles away.

Future, here we come!

Comments

[AZ85283]

There seems to be a major piece missing here. Can one party of the couple be so completely out of touch as to not know the relationship is in trouble? There are always signals that things have changed in a relationship --from the way the other person talks to you (or doesn't), doesn't want to spend time with you, is generally unpleasant, is mean spirited, generally doesn't give you any respect, etc --there must be something that points to a troubled relationship. Apparently, though the other party isn't tuned in to their partner or there partners' need. Still there is no excuse for not informing the person in person except that in this case as well as the others mention, the dumping person is a creep and coward. As for Giuliano, I could never understand how the party of the "family values" could even think of nominating him when he not only dumped his wife on TV but then she had to go to court to keep his "mistress" from moving into Gracie Mansion. Just goes to show how little manners and/or interpersonal relationships skills people have these days and that everyone needs to learn a little etiquette.

[JSDKoeln]

I agree with you. There are ALWAYS two sides. How do we know that the woman was not having an affair... or maybe she was addicted to crackbook and he never saw her because of that! Maybe it was appropriate. I mean, she must have been aware of something, I would hope. This smells a little fishy to me.

[Robert2664]

I guess marriage is'nt that sacred after all.

[Vr6]

Silly, nothing is sacred - the gop should have taught you that!

[Mattie]

than she is well rid of the classless jerk!

[LiquidSunshine]

You people are such hypocrites! So it's okay to stand up in a church full of hundreds of your friends and proclaim your vows but it's not okay to do the same when it's time to pull the plug? Why is one vulgar display of affection accepted and not the other (and seriously, it's vulgar - we all know half the marriages in this country will end in divorce - spending thousands on a gaudy wedding to profess a "love" that will end in divorce in approximately 7-10 years is VULGAR - certainly no less vulgar than this guy wanting a divorce from his wife).

[HuffpoPerspective]

While I won't debate the merits of what is or is not VULGAR... You are entitled to your beliefs, there is one huge difference between the announcements and pronouncements made at the wedding ceremony and this event. She KNEW before the rest of her friends and the world did with regard to the first ceremony/vulgar display.

But I think you may have touched upon something interesting - imagine (if after you did the proper thing of informing your spouse DIRECTLY that you intend to divorce them) you invited your friends from both sides to sit in support of the final divorce ceremony and then each went off in the comfort of you friends to celebrate or mourn... Might be a better way to get through it...

Also - your generalizations are off base - as most generalizations are...

[zanzig]

I went to a divorce party a number of years ago, and it was much as most parties - a boozy, friendly night - until the departing husband decided to make a speech. Dear me, there were a few scores paid off that night. Lots of embarrassment all round.

[arizonabay]

Stay Classy Neil!

[EgyptianMysterySchool]

What a disgustingly selfish and cowardly "human" being.

[sweetwhine]

Please. Count your lucky stars honey. He did you a huge favor.

[the964kid]

dayum thats cold.

[Madmac]

What a wuss...Rea­l men do it face to face. Not face to facebook

[GuyFawkes]

This is what Joe Montana would've done if they had FAcebook back when he got his divorce. He had to settle for a fax.

[socialdemocracy1968]

Was their wedding held on Second Life? :D

[dizzypdx]

Jennifer Love Hewitt (remember her? she was an actress) ended her relationship with Carson Daly (he was on MTV at the time and now has a late night show) during a live interview. Someone asked him about it and he didn't know it was over. THAT is cold.

[Grammy3]

Then-Mayor Giuliani did the same thing. Announced in an interview that he was divorcing wife #2 for wife #3. Nice guy, huh?

[Takae]

Matt Damon did the same, announcing that his relationship with Minnie Driver was over. It wasn't even live, so she didn't get to find out for at least 48 hours after it was filmed. Ouch.

[BlackYowe]

She is better off without him obviously!

[LemonFreshScent]

I find it funnier that its being reported on the Huffington Post!

[BrnPhil]

It is after all a social network.

[MarkInIrvine]

anti-social network is more like it