Her new boyfriend is in the final stages of a very nasty divorce. She wants tips on how to be supportive without overwhelming him.
I said:
I’d suggest that you try not to rush in as soon as he is legally free in the hope that you can become his next true love. It doesn’t matter how much he may have wanted the divorce or how nasty it has become, he will need some time to get himself back together emotionally before he’s ready to be good relationship material.
Anyone coming out of a nasty divorce needs some time alone, some time to find themselves, to redefine what they want from a relationship.
It doesn’t matter how great you think the two of you are, he isn’t ready and won’t be ready to make a commitment for quite a while. If you push, he may push back. If you smother him with attention, he may run.
Be a friend, but don’t be too available. And don’t take it personally if he decides that he’d rather have the freedom to date rather than get into another committed relationship right away.