Cost of Letters of Administration in Ghana (2026)

How Much Does the L/A Cost in Ghana?

There are 3 levels of payments in the Application process. The Lawyer’s Fees, paid to your Lawyer for legal services, the Court Fees paid to the Court for filing of your documents and the Estate Duty levied by the Court on the value of the estate.

Court Fees

The Administration process is done by filing legal processes at the Court. The Courts charge a filing fee for every legal process filed. The filing fee is a small charge that is levied for every document or legal process filed.

Each legal process has its charge and the charges are determined by the Rules of Court Committee. The most current filing fees are in the Civil Proceedings (Fees and Allowances) (Amendment) Rules 2014 (C.I.86).

The amount involved for each process depends on the particular type of process being filed. It may be as little as GHc50, GHc500, GHc1,000 or more.

The total amount to be paid as filing fee throughout the application process is impossible to pre-determine. This is because every case is different and may require different legal solutions.  However, for a small estate with no contentions and no family disputes, about GHc500 to GHc1000 will be a reasonable budget for filing fees.

Legal Fee

The Solicitor’s fees usually depends on the size and value of the estate. In other words, a small estate will attract a smaller legal fee than a large estate. Estates smaller that GH₵200,000.00 attract a maximum legal fee of GH₵14,000.00.
It is worth noting that an experienced senior lawyer will charge more than a lawyer who is fresh out of law school. However, the charges are not arbitrary, the Ghana Bar Association determines the legal fees of lawyers and the 2022 GBA Scale of Legal Fees provides the most current guide for legal charges in Ghana. Inheritance cases are dealt with at page 8 of the Scale of Fees. These are all negotiable.

Please note that the Solicitor’s Fee is paid to the lawyer for legal services and it is separate from the fees paid to the court and other incidental fees/bills.

Estate Duty

The Law levies an Estate Duty on the estate. It is based on the value of the estate. It is approximately 1% – 3% of the value of the estate.

The Court will only release the actual Certificate (L/A or Probate) after the Estate Duty is paid.

Additional Expenses

Apart from the official costs, there are other incidental expenses.  These are necessary for a successful estate  administration. They are not paid to the Lawyer or Court.

These include incidental costs like transportation, and other similar costs, etc.,.

The Administrator or Executor ought to pay for all expenses out of the estate. They must settle the expenses before the distribution can take place. Therefore, it is advisable for Administrators and Executors keep receipts of payments made on behalf of the estate. This will allow them to claim the amounts involved from the estate before distribution.

The Administrator or Executor may not claim wages, salary or Income. It is only where the Administrator or Executor is a lawyer, accountant or some other Expert offering professional services that they may claim wages, salary or Income.

Need Specific Legal Guidance? The information provided in this guide is for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Because inheritance laws can be complex and highly specific to your family’s circumstances, we strongly recommend consulting a qualified lawyer before making any major decisions.

You may:

• Schedule a consultation with a LexisGH lawyer

• Find a lawyer of your choice via the GH Bar Association’s Lawyer Locator