Nick Reiner Says He Can't Access Even $5 From Family Trust for Jail Commissary
Nick Reiner, who is awaiting trial on charges that he killed his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, says he has been unable to tap into his family trust for even the smallest jail expenses.
In two replies filed Sept. 17 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, attorneys for the 33-year-old pushed back against the trustees who have blocked his access to the Nick Reiner Children's Trust. The trust, established by his parents in 1993, is worth roughly $1.6 million and names him as its sole beneficiary.
"Nick still has not been able to access even $5 from his trust," his attorneys Anita P. Wu and Geoffrey A. Neri wrote in the filing. They added that he can't buy basic subsistence items from the jail commissary.
Why Reiner's Lawyers Say He Is Owed $558,000
At the heart of the dispute is the trust's "Age-30 Distribution." Reiner turned 30 on Sept. 14, 2023, and his lawyers say that, by the successor trustee's own calculation, at least $558,000 became payable to him that day. Under the trust's terms, he was due the balance at age 35.
His attorneys argue the timing is key. The distribution came due nearly two years before his parents' deaths, so they contend California's Slayer Statute should not apply to it.
"That distribution was mandatory, unconditional, and immediately due," Wu wrote in the Sept. 17 filing.
The trustees have argued that Reiner chose to leave that first payout in the fund, a claim his legal team disputes.
The filings also argue that at least $325,017.49 in trust assets originated with Reiner's grandfather, the actor, director and comedian Carl Reiner, who died June 29, 2020. His lawyers say that money should fall outside the statute entirely.
Trustees Cite California's Slayer Statute
Successor trustee Jodi Pais Montgomery and former trustee Paul R. Kanin have objected to releasing the money. They have cited the state's Slayer Statute, which bars a person from inheriting from someone they feloniously and intentionally kill.
Under California Probate Code provisions, a court can decide under a civil standard whether a killing was felonious and intentional, meaning a criminal conviction is not necessarily required first.
The fiduciary overseeing the fund has said her job is to preserve the money for whoever is ultimately entitled to it. That could include Reiner's siblings, Jake and Romy, if the statute applies.
"The presumption of innocence is Nick's shield at his criminal trial," the fiduciary said in August.
Reiner's lawyers accuse the trustees of delaying payments while spending more than $250,000 in legal fees from the trust itself. They also allege that Kanin, who resigned in May after roughly 15 weeks as trustee, agreed in April to replenish Reiner's commissary account but never followed through.
Access to Defense Counsel at Stake
According to the filings, Reiner has been unable to pay for criminal defense counsel and experts since January 2026. His lawyers argue the delay is hurting his ability to fight double homicide charges with special circumstances.
Reiner hopes to use the money to rehire private defense attorney Alan Jackson, who withdrew from the case earlier this year. A public defender currently represents him.
In August, Judge Ruben Garcia postponed a probate hearing on the matter and scheduled a hearing for Oct. 23.
Where the Criminal Case Stands
Reiner has been held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles since his arrest in December 2025, following the deaths of his parents at their Brentwood home.
He was indicted in July on two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances of lying in wait. Prosecutors confirmed this month that they will not pursue the death penalty.
Reiner has pleaded not guilty and has not been convicted.
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