Melissa R. Pendergrass focuses exclusively on family law, with a focus on alternative dispute resolution and collaborative practice. Ms. Pendergrass has been practicing law since 2005. She is a native Floridian who grew up in Central Florida. She is a graduate of Tavares High School, Valencia Community College, the University of Central Florida, and FAMU College of Law. Prior to starting her law career, she worked as a paramedic in an emergency room and as an adjunct instructor in the Emergency Medical Services program at Lake Tech in Eustis, FL. After law school, she started her career as a prosecutor in the State Attorney’s Office in Lake County where she prosecuted both misdemeanor and felony cases. Her caseload included major cases such as drug trafficking and DUI manslaughter. Ms. Pendergrass continued her prosecutorial career in Citrus County where she prosecuted felony cases including computer crimes and major drug crimes. While at the State Attorney’s Office, Ms. Pendergrass participated as a chair in the Gang Task Force, continued teaching both in the areas of EMS and law enforcement, and took a hands-on approach with her cases participating in search warrants and undercover/covert investigations. After leaving the State Attorney’s Office, Ms. Pendergrass joined the law firm of Robert Christensen where she practiced criminal defense and family law. She continued her focus on those areas of law when she joined the Law Office of Melissa Militello in 2016, where she practiced until December 2022. In September 2022, Ms. Pendergrass started her firm, A Better Direction Law, LLC. It is a family-focused law firm seeking to meet the needs of families in their legal challenges. It is a completely virtual law firm with a variety of payment options aimed at meeting the needs of the people and offering alternatives and access to legal help that may not have been as available previously.