Florida IVF lawsuit: Tiffany Score and Steven Mills secure custody agreement over baby Shea
A couple at the centre of a shocking IVF mix-up have reached a major legal milestone after discovering the baby they were raising was not genetically related to them.
A Florida couple who discovered the baby they welcomed through IVF was not biologically theirs have reached a custody agreement with the child’s genetic parents, bringing a dramatic chapter in the family’s legal battle a step closer to resolution.
Tiffany Score and Steven Mills launched legal action against their fertility clinic after an alleged embryo mix-up led to the birth of a daughter who was not genetically related to either of them.
According to court documents, the couple had undergone treatment at the Fertility Center of Orlando and created three viable embryos, which were placed into storage. Ms Score later underwent an embryo transfer she believed involved one of those embryos.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.However, when daughter Shea was born in December 2025, the couple immediately realised something was wrong after noticing the baby did not physically resemble either parent.
The pair later pursued genetic testing in an effort to identify Shea’s biological family, previously saying they felt “a moral obligation to find her genetic parents”, People revealed.
In April, the couple revealed those efforts had succeeded.
“This ends one chapter in our heartbreaking journey, but it raises new issues that will have to be resolved,” said Ms Score and Mr Mills.
“Only one thing is as absolutely certain today as it was on the day our daughter was born —we will love and will be this child’s parents forever.”
Now, newly filed court documents show the couple and Shea’s biological parents have reached a “mutually devised custody agreement”.
While the exact terms remain confidential, the filing states Ms Score and Mr Mills will continue as Shea’s permanent custodial parents. The identities of the biological parents have also been kept private.
A representative for the couple said they would not be commenting further while focusing on their daughter and building a relationship with her genetic parents.
“Tiffany and Steve recognize the public interest in the details of their IVF experience, and they appreciate the role the news media has played in bringing them and Shea to the point where Shea’s genetic parents were able to be identified and fears about Shea’s future have been settled,” the representative said.
“Tiffany and Steve are committed to respect the privacy concerns of Shea’s genetic parents with whom they have begun and intend to continue to foster a relationship of friendship and trust,” the representative says.
“They are also committed to protecting Shea from harmful intrusion on her privacy.”
A court hearing to finalise the arrangement was scheduled for June 15.
The filing also revealed the couple has transferred their remaining embryo from the Fertility Center of Orlando to a new provider for storage and further testing.
“Through the undersigned, their new provider contacted Defendant Fertility Center of Orlando to arrange transport and received the embryo attributed to them. That embryo will be tested for parentage and then the Plaintiffs will determine next steps,” the filing stated.
The Fertility Center of Orlando announced earlier this year that it would close, with another clinic set to take over operations at the same location.
