Over GHC 50,000: How Much Ghanaian Lawyers Spend on Their Call to the Bar Ceremony

• A breakdown of costs for the Call to the Bar ceremony on October 2, 2026 has revealed that wig and gown alone can cost between GHS 3,000 and GHS 15,000
• The minimalist budget for the event adds up to GHS 21,000, covering suits, shoes, call fees, and photography
• Key costs such as makeup, hair, jewellery, transportation, food, and after-parties are not even included in the estimate

Becoming a lawyer in Ghana is a costly journey from the very start, and the Call to the Bar ceremony is no exception.

A detailed cost breakdown for the October 2, 2026 ceremony has laid bare just how much newly qualified lawyers are expected to spend before they can officially be called to the profession.

How much Ghanaian lawyers spend on Call to the bar ceremony

The biggest individual expense is the wig and gown, which along with accessories can set a student back anywhere between GHS 3,000 and GHS 15,000 depending on quality and supplier.

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Suits are another major outlay, with candidates typically needing two, one for the Call dinner and one for the ceremony itself, each costing between GHS 2,000 and GHS 10,000.

The Call to the bar fees, which have held steady at GHS 5,000 for some time, are expected to rise to around GHS 7,000.

Shoes, again requiring two pairs, add another GHS 500 to GHS 3,000 per unit, and photography covering studio shoots, reels, behind-the-scenes content, and photos on the day can cost between GHS 2,000 and GHS 10,000.

Minimalist Call to the Bar Budget looks like

For those hoping to keep spending under control, even the bare minimum adds up quickly. A stripped-back budget for the 2026 Call to the Bar works out as follows:

GHS 4,000 for the wig and gown, GHS 6,000 for two suits, GHS 5,000 in call fees based on the 2025 rate, GHS 2,000 for two pairs of shoes, GHS 3,000 for photography, and GHS 1,000 set aside for miscellaneous expenses at a five per cent buffer. That brings the conservative total to GHS 21,000.

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Crucially, that figure does not account for several other unavoidable costs. Female graduates will need to factor in hair and make-up, and every candidate will face additional spending on jewellery, transportation for family and friends, food and drinks at the venue, as well as any dinners or after-parties typically associated with the occasion.

Once those are included, the real cost of celebrating a Call to the Bar in Ghana climbs considerably higher than the GHS 21,000 estimate suggests.

The Facebook video is below:

Reactions to Ghana Call to the Bar ceremony expenses

Michael Tettey stated:

"Must you neccessarily buy a new suit for both dinner and call even if you have one already, should you go for professional photography when you have a good phone that can capture nice Images for you must you neccessarily buy new shoes if you have one already so with the exception of the calling fee , gown and wig which is non negotiable , the rest can be manageable."

Gloria Wadie stated:

"You haven’t added the lunch or dinner party you will have with your friends or family after the Call and for the ladies you add makeup and hairstyling for about 3 or 4 events - photoshoot, Call dinner, Call ceremony and dinner or lunch, Kyresee."

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Owusu Edmond Agyare stated:

"Wig no de3 more than Brazilian hair ooo."

Ab Joojo Afun stated:

"Photography 3,000? netflix documentary anaa?."

Mercedes Nye Rowe Asamani stated:

"How about wearing a suit and shoe one already has?."

The Instagram post is below:

Ghanaian lawyer gives breakdown of Call to the Bar expenses

Ghanaian food content creator Food Diplomat has given a breakdown of how much she spent on some basic essentials for her Call to the Bar ceremony in October 2026.

She explained in the video that her budget has exceed over GHC 50,000 and she is perfectly happy with her choice of outfits, shoes and other things.

The Facebook video is below:

Latifa Teiya Fuseini goes to Harvard

Earlier, YEN.com.gh wrote about Latifa Teiya Fuseini, the Overall Best Graduating Student of the Ghana School of Law’s Class of 2025, who has secured admission to Harvard Law School.

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Fuseini emerged as the top performer among the 824 candidates called to the Ghanaian Bar in 2025, earning the prestigious John Mensah Sarbah Memorial Prize, the Ghana School of Law’s highest honour.

A First Class graduate of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Fuseini has said her ambition to pursue a career in law was partly inspired by the limited representation of Muslim Dagomba women in the legal profession.

Source: YEN.com.gh