Google is a big doorway these days, offering many ways to check any advisor and their reputation, and any professional penalties if levied against them. Also if you speak with an existing client, their opinion is valuable to you. On the web you should be able to find if an advisor has a reliable process to fit your needs, while a friend or existing client confirms how trust has grown over time. Don’t go solely on word-of-mouth from a friend: fraud in the billions has occurred on that basis. So you can learn a lot from an internet search via Google, also Linkedin etc, combined with personal affirmation of someone already with that advisor.