Attorneys for Nick Reiner, the son of filmmaker Rob Reiner, are seeking access to a $1.6 million trust fund to cover legal expenses as he awaits trial for the murder of his parents. They contend that a significant portion of these funds originates from his late grandfather, Carl Reiner, and therefore should not be withheld under California's Slayer Statute.
Nick Reiner has been in custody at Twin Towers Correctional Facility for nearly a year, facing two counts of murder with special circumstances, including lying in wait. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges related to the December 14, 2025 deaths of his parents, Rob and Michele Singer Reiner, at their Brentwood home. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, but he could face life in prison without parole if convicted.
The trustee of Nick Reiner's trust has cited the Slayer Statute, which prevents individuals from financially benefiting from their victims' deaths, as a reason for withholding the funds. However, Reiner's legal team argues in court documents that the statute applies only to benefits derived from the killing itself, not to pre-existing property.
His lawyers state that a "substantial portion" of the trust's assets came from Carl Reiner's estate plan, which included similar distributions to his other grandchildren. Court filings indicate that at least $325,017.49 was transferred into the trust account on December 24, 2024, from Carl Reiner's estate. The attorneys assert that money left by his grandfather is not money received from or through his parents and should remain accessible.
"Money that was left to Nick by his grandfather is not money received by Nick from or through his parents," the documents read. "To the extent the funds Nick received from his grandfather are Nick’s personal assets, they remain Nick’s and should be segregated and released from this Trust."
Reiner's legal team also claims that the trust was established in 1993 and that at least $558,000 should have been disbursed to him upon turning 30 on September 14, 2023, more than two years before his parents' deaths. They argue that at that time, he was presumed innocent, and his parents were alive.
Beyond legal fees, the financial freeze has broader implications, according to Reiner's attorneys. They claim he has been unable to purchase basic necessities from the jail commissary and has been deprived of the ability to pay for criminal defense counsel and experts since January 2026, prejudicing his defense. High-profile attorney Alan Jackson, who initially represented Reiner, withdrew from the criminal case in January, citing "circumstances beyond our control," but has indicated he could return if funding is resolved.
Sources have indicated that Nick's siblings, Jake and Romy Reiner, are united in their refusal to allow their inheritance to be used for his defense. They reportedly feel the need to establish boundaries as they grieve. Tracy Reiner, Rob Reiner's adopted daughter from his marriage to Penny Marshall, is also said to support withholding access to the inheritance.
Nick's lawyers counter that his siblings have not formally objected to his petition and previously consented to the disbursement of trust funds for legal fees in April 2026. They assert that the dispute is fundamentally about his right to use money that legally belongs to him while he is presumed innocent.