I agree with the above, although I struck lucky with mine.
There can be so many variables in a divorce that for someone to give relevant advice could be difficult. It’s also when the solicitor explains their billing rates and practices.
My situation was very simple. Married a very long time, husband already receiving state pension and a private pension. No dependent children, owned our own house outright. I had no private pension and was only due a state pension. The solicitor felt confident enough to confirm that divorce would essentially be 50/50 of assets and I could claim 50% of his pension.
This has turned out to be correct.
I spoke to two different solicitors. The first gave me 20 mins, the second (the one I went with) gave me 40 mins. You could I suppose try a few and see if you glean enough information that way. I’m not sure every solicitor gives a free initial consultation, so you’ll have to check.
I went online and looked at the websites of the local solicitors. I checked out the profiles of all the solicitors. I went with a firm that wasn’t that big and chose a solicitor that specialised in family law (divorce) and was a partner. She also had over 20 years experience.
She was probably more expensive, but was worth it. A divorce is one of the few times when you can’t afford not to pay for advice.
Look up wikivorce first, to give you an idea of the general process and terms. It can answer the simple stuff so you don’t waste time asking the solicitor really basic questions.