Anonymous (the original): I would wait at least until the spring and give yourself some time to think and completely heal from the divorce to start dating. I did not want to date again after my divorce, but someone found me about 2 years later. It takes different amounts of time for different people and since you did not want to be on the rebound........He met me at a Health Club. I was in my late forties and thought everyone my age was married, but there are a lot of divorced people out there who are looking. He's never been married because his ex gf didn't want to and he was with her long term.
You should date when you feel like you're ready to date. Its completely up to you feeling comfortable with the process.
Dating after separation can be a lot of fun and it can also be difficult to navigate. Relax, be honest about how you feel while you're spending time with another person and don't feel pressured. If you try it and feel like its not working out...take a break and try again later.
I met my now fiancé about 2 weeks after I separated and we've been together for over 5 years. I had zero attachment to my then husband because we had lived very separate lives for years. It was extremely easy to move on, I fantasized about it for years waiting for the kids to get old enough for me to divorce. But its different for everyone.
I wouldn't try to follow anyone else's standard of what they think is right. You know you...do what feels right.