Often, when lay people ask this question they assume there’s simply one objective answer. For those that do, here are some considerations:
This question usually concerns fiqh issues, the vast majority of which are open to sound interpretations (i.e. within certain parameters). On the majority of issues any response will not be definitive as there will be a number of valid opinions (i.e. ways of looking at it). So when you ask “what is the ruling on x?” what you’re actually getting at is: “what is your opinion on what God might have said on x?” So generally, when someone is asking about a ruling on an issue they’re seeking the scholar’s insight and view on what God might be saying about a specific scenario. One of the reasons fiqh has become so polarising (whilst it wasn’t so in earlier times) is because of fundamental mistakes people make in understanding the nature of fiqh and what jurists actually do.