Say that you are separated. You do not have to wait for the decree to describe your life, and you do not have to tell the story of the marriage on a profile. "Separated, living in Bristol, looking to meet someone properly" is enough. People in the same stretch of time recognise it.
Separated is not a softer way of saying married, and it is not divorced yet. If you still share a house, or the children move between you, say that your time is planned. If you are free to meet and the marriage is over in every way that matters to you, say that too. A profile that tries to cover both reads as if the past is still the subject.
Leave the legal detail off the page. Who left, the settlement, the court date, and your former partner's name are for a conversation, if they come up at all. So are your children's names, their school, and your address. The guide on keeping this from your children is the practical side of that. Dating after a divorce is the next page, once the paperwork has finished.
Suggest a real plan. "Coffee on Saturday morning" is something a busy person can accept. An open-ended chat asks them to do the organising, and a lot of people in the middle of a separation are already tired. Say whether you want a relationship or company. Those are different hopes.
Be careful with speed, including your own. Some people want to replace the marriage before it has legally ended. Some want a long stretch of messages. Say which you are. A person who rushes you toward a night away, a move off Only Dating, or a story about money is not matching that. Read the romance-scam guide. The order is still a few messages, a video call, then a public place.
Create a free account to message someone on Only Dating.