Dating after a long marriage

If you were married for 20 or 30 years, the last time you dated there were no apps and no texting. It can feel like learning a new language. The good news: what makes love last has not changed.

What has changed

• Most people meet online or through groups now.
• First dates are shorter and more casual.
• People talk about what they want earlier.

What has not changed

• Kindness, steadiness and showing up still win.
• Shared values matter more than shared hobbies.
• The right person is glad to go at your pace.

Starting without rushing

• Give yourself time to grieve the marriage, even if you chose to end it.
• Talk to your grown kids before they hear it from someone else.
• Start with people who want the same thing you do.

What the long-marriage data says

NamesBonds is built on the largest study ever done on names and lifelong marriage: official marriage and divorce records of nearly 1.3 million US couples, many followed for 40 years.

In a test on couples it had never seen, 95 in 100 couples our matching rated 90 or higher never divorced, 40 years later.

Singles events in DFW this month

Want to meet people face to face too? These organizers run regular singles nights in Dallas and Fort Worth:

• Jigsaw Dating: speed dating and happy hours, including ages 40 to 55.
• CitySwoon: matched speed dating in Dallas, by age group.
• The Fun Singles: speed dating and mixers for 43 to 55 and 56+, in person and online.
• 101Media: speed dating and singles mixers across DFW.

How NamesBonds works in Dallas

• Free to join.
• You sign up with your name and a few details about your life.
• We show you only the people who score high with you for a love that lasts, best matches first.

Ready to start again, with someone who wants a lasting love?

Questions people ask

How do I start dating after 30 years of marriage?

Start small: coffee with someone a friend introduces, a singles group at church, a class. Go slowly, and tell people early what you are looking for.

More for Dallas singles: Dating after divorce in Dallas · Dating over 40 in Dallas · What a Dallas matchmaker costs · Dating over 40 in Fort Worth · Dating after 50 in Dallas · How to meet singles in Dallas who want marriage · Meeting singles in Plano and Frisco · Dating in Arlington · Dating after 60 in Dallas · Dating as a single parent in Dallas · Christian singles in Dallas · Dating after divorce in Fort Worth · Meeting singles in McKinney and Allen · Meeting singles in Denton · Speed dating in Dallas over 40 · Meeting singles in Richardson and Garland · Dating in Irving and Las Colinas · Dating again after losing a spouse · Getting it right the second time · Dating apps in Dallas after 40 · Meeting singles in Southlake, Grapevine and Keller · Dating in Rockwall and Mesquite · Dating over 40 in Dallas, for women · Meeting singles in Grand Prairie and Mansfield · Singles groups in Dallas for over 35 · Signs someone wants marriage · Dating as a single dad in Dallas · How long to wait after divorce before dating · First date ideas in Dallas, over 40 · Dating over 50 in Dallas, for men · Dating while co-parenting · Single for the holidays in Dallas · Dating toward a blended family · Check two names, free

Built on the largest study ever done on names and lifelong marriage: nearly 1.3 million US couples.