Yes - dating is ultimately just “do i match with this person, like them, and can we get along together enough.” but the odds of me dating them diminish when increasing the amount of kids they have and increasing how messy their ex’s involvement is.

Edited-To-Add: coupling yourself to a romantic partner is also coupling yourself to their friends and family, but while you can choose not to see your in-laws every christmas or hang out with your wife’s girlfriends, you can’t reduce contact with a S.O’s live-in children or crazy exes (assuming the ex has shared custody)