Marita Ham

Marita practices in family law children's matters, and with a background of 15 years as a leading victims of crime barrister, she is well known amongst the judiciary and peers alike for her meticulous preparation, strong advocacy skills and obtaining exceptional outcomes for clients.   

Marita successfully conducted many victims of crime appeals at VCAT and her sound legal skills and attention to detail resulted in her being asked to write the Victims of Crime chapter in the Fitzroy Legal Service Handbook, a role she has held since 2023. 

Marita has the ability to connect with and take care of clients from all backgrounds - particularly vulnerable individuals - explaining complex legal concepts in clear and accessible terms.    

As a qualified AIFLAM mediator, and with restorative justice qualifications actively practiced through the Victorian chapter of the Australian Association of Restorative Justice community of practice, Marita brings maturity, emotional intelligence, collaboration, and a therapeutic approach to all her work. 

Marita is keen to build her practice in ICL work and mediations, including small property pool family law matters.  She accepts legal aid briefs and regional circuit work. 

In addition to Intervention Orders, Marita also accepts briefs in VOCAT/FAS appeals to VCAT, and welcomes briefs involving therapeutic justice, including ARC List matters and community conferences in youth justice work.    

Before coming to the Bar, Marita practiced as a solicitor for ten years across diverse legal fields.  She spent several years as a family lawyer in Byron Bay, served as the National Compliance Manager at Australia Post - including training staff nationwide in trade practices law - and worked in legal policy at the Department of Justice drafting and managing the passage of two key Acts through Parliament. 

Beyond her legal practice, Marita is deeply committed to supporting victims of human trafficking and slavery, serving as a board member of the international NGO Hagar Australia since 2019. Passionate about adventure travel, she recently trekked the Camino de Santiago and the Inca Trail in Peru.