Dating after a divorce

How to mention a previous marriage, what to leave out of a profile, and how to suggest a real plan.
A quiet morning kitchen table with one cup of coffee.

You can say you are divorced. You do not need to apologise for it, and you do not need to tell the story of the marriage in the profile. "Divorced, two grown-up children, looking to meet someone properly" is a complete sentence. People in the same position recognise it and reply to it.

Leave the legal detail off the profile. The settlement, the name of your former spouse, who left whom, and what they did wrong are for a conversation, if they come up at all. A profile that is mostly about the person you are no longer with tells a stranger that the past is still the main subject.

Say what you want now, in ordinary language. If you want a relationship, say so. If you want company and you are not ready for anything heavier, say that too. After a divorce, people often write a profile that tries to cover every possibility. That reads as uncertainty, and it is harder to answer than a clear hope.

Suggest a real plan in the first few messages, rather than an open-ended chat. "Coffee on Saturday morning near the station" is something a busy person can accept or decline. "We should hang out sometime" asks them to do the organising, and a lot of recently single people are already tired.

Be careful with the speed. Some people want to replace the marriage quickly. Some want a long, low-pressure stretch of messages. Ask which they are, and say which you are. A difference there is easier to see early than after you have met three times.

Do not put your children's names, their school, or your address in the profile. If you have a guide for the practical side of meeting, use the one on how long to talk before you meet. A divorce does not change the order: a few messages, a video call, then a public place.

Create a free account to message someone on Only Dating.

Online Safety ActSafe online dating

Feedback
Dating after a divorce | Only Dating