Dating Guides
Guides cover readiness, safety, single parenting, and dating after divorce or separation.
The Transfer Portal is a dating and community app for emotionally ready singles: never married, divorced or separated, and single parents.
Getting ready
36 Breakup Journal Prompts for Before You Date Again
Prompts for the first raw weeks, for making sense of what happened, and for getting clear on what you want next. Free printable included.
Dating After a Long-Term Relationship: A Practical Guide
Five, eight, twelve years together and no divorce papers. How to grieve a breakup people call 'only dating,' relearn apps, and start again.
Dating Anxiety After Heartbreak: What Helps
Your chest tightens when a match goes quiet. Practical ways to date with anxiety after being cheated on or blindsided, and when to get more support.
Dating Profile Tips for Starting Over (+ Examples)
Example bios for after a breakup, a divorce, or a long single stretch. What to say about your past, kids and intentions, and what to leave out.
How Long to Wait to Date After a Breakup (By Relationship Length)
A few months together, a few years, or a marriage? See what changes the wait, what a rebound looks like, and how to tell when you're ready.
How to Find a Divorce Support Group
Where to look for a divorce support group, what each kind is like, and how to tell in the first few sessions whether one fits you.
How to Heal Before Dating Again: A Practical Plan
Sleep, people, writing and boundaries: a plain plan for the weeks after a breakup or divorce, with signs you can move on to dating.
How to Know You're Ready to Date After Divorce
Practical signs of emotional readiness for dating after divorce, plus honest questions that help you decide if the time is right.
Never Married in Your 30s or 40s? Dating Advice
Daters on Reddit call never-married at 40 neutral; the why matters more. How to talk about it, what to look for, and where to meet people.
Rebound Relationship Signs (In You and in Them)
A rebound has less to do with timing than with avoiding grief. Signs to check in yourself, signs in a new partner, and what to do next.
Signs of Emotional Availability (in You and a Match)
Spot emotional availability in the first weeks of dating: consistency, clear intentions, healthy boundaries. Plus signs to check in yourself.
Slow Dating: What It Is and How to Do It
Slow dating means fewer matches, more attention, and letting attraction build. Here's how to try it without wasting months on someone.
The 5 Stages of Divorce, and Why Nobody Goes Through Them in Order
The five stages of divorce, what each one feels like when your own marriage ends, and why treating them as a sequence to complete can make things harder for you.
Single parents
Co Parenting and Dating: Finding the Balance
How to date while you co parent, from setting boundaries with your ex to bringing a new partner into your family life.
Dating as a Single Parent After Divorce
Practical advice for dating as a single parent, from managing schedules to knowing when to introduce your kids.
How to Date Around a Custody Schedule
Week-on, week-off, 2-2-3 or every other weekend: plan dates on your free nights, say your schedule to matches, and handle swaps and cancellations.
When to Introduce Kids to a New Partner: A Guide
Parents on Reddit and family professionals point to the same signals: a committed relationship, settled kids, and a slow first meeting. Here's how.
When to Tell Someone You Have Kids When Dating
Profile, first messages or first date? Weigh the trade-offs, see sample wording, and keep your kids' privacy while you tell matches you're a parent.
Separated
Choosing an app
Best Dating Apps for Serious Relationships (2026)
Hinge, Match, eHarmony, Bumble and The Transfer Portal dating app compared on intent, matching, verification and price. Pick by what you need.
Choosing a Dating App as a Single Parent
How to pick a dating site or app when you have kids: what to look for, what to skip, and how to protect your children's privacy from the first profile photo.
Dating App Burnout: Signs and a 2-Week Reset Plan
Swiping feels like a chore and texting goes nowhere. Spot the signs, take a real break or a partial one, and come back dating with intention.
Which Dating Apps Verify Photos? Hinge, Bumble, Tinder & Match Compared
Hinge offers video selfies, Bumble and Tinder use pose checks, Match has photo verification, and The Transfer Portal requires human review. Compare how each app verifies profiles.
Safety
Online Dating Safety: Spot Fake Profiles, Avoid Scams, Meet Safely
Check a profile in five minutes, spot romance scam scripts, and plan a safe first meeting. A checklist for anyone dating online.
Your First Date After Divorce: A Complete Guide
What to know about your first date after divorce, from managing nerves to choosing the right venue to handling the conversation.
Meet people at a similar stage
The Transfer Portal is for emotionally ready singles: never married, divorced or separated, and single parents.
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