Nick Reiner Denied Access to $1.5 Million Trust as ‘Slayer Statute’ Becomes Key Issue in Parents’ Murder Case

Nick Reiner is facing another legal setback as a trustee has blocked his attempt to access money from a $1.5 million trust established by his late parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.

The 32-year-old has asked to receive money from the trust to help cover his legal expenses and pay for basic necessities while he remains in custody. However, the trustee has refused to release the funds, pointing to California’s so-called “slayer statute” and the ongoing criminal case against him.

 

Reiner is accused of killing his parents in December 2025. He has pleaded not guilty and remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

The trust was established in Reiner’s name by his parents in 1993, the year he was born. According to a petition he filed in California court, the trust is now worth more than $1.5 million.

Reiner has argued that he should have received a mandatory distribution from the trust when he turned 30. He is seeking access to the first portion of that distribution, saying the money is needed not only for his defense but also for expenses associated with his incarceration.

Among the costs he cited were commissary purchases for basic necessities such as socks and personal hygiene products.

The trustees overseeing the fund have taken a very different position.

In court documents filed earlier this month, incoming fiduciary Jodi Pais Montgomery and former fiduciary Paul Kanin opposed Reiner’s request. They cited California’s “slayer statute,” a law that can prevent someone from inheriting money or property from a person they intentionally and unlawfully killed.

 

The trustees argue that the question of Reiner’s entitlement should not be resolved while the criminal case is still pending.

Montgomery’s position is that no money should be distributed until a court determines whether the slayer statute applies to Reiner’s interest in the trust.

A filing from Montgomery’s attorney, Lauriann Wright, emphasized that the dispute is directly connected to the deaths of the people who established the trust.

“Nick’s sense of urgency is real, but it did not arise in a vacuum,” the filing states, pointing out that his request comes after the deaths of his parents, who created the trust and are now the victims in the criminal case against him.

The trustee’s attorney also argued that California law does not provide an exception allowing trust assets potentially affected by the slayer statute to be used to pay for a criminal defense.

If Reiner is ultimately found to have unlawfully and intentionally killed his parents, the disputed assets could instead pass to his siblings, Jake and Romy.

The trustee has a fiduciary responsibility to protect the interests of the beneficiaries, according to the filing. Releasing the money before the criminal proceedings are resolved could potentially be irreversible, the trustee’s attorney argued.

Reiner, however, has strongly objected to the decision to withhold his money.

In his response to the court, he said he never agreed to allow a trustee to indefinitely retain the distribution he believes became available to him when he turned 30.

Reiner argued that he had never understood anything he had done — or failed to do — as giving the trustee permission to keep the funds indefinitely.

 

His legal team has also challenged the use of the slayer statute at this stage of the proceedings.

Attorney Anita P. Wu argued that the law requires an actual determination rather than simply an accusation. She emphasized that Reiner has not been convicted and remains legally presumed innocent.

The trust dispute comes as Reiner’s criminal case moves toward trial.

He was recently indicted by a Los Angeles grand jury on two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the December 2025 deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner. The new indictment replaces the original murder charges he previously faced.

The indictment also includes an alleged special circumstance involving lying in wait, as well as an allegation involving the use of a knife.

Reiner is currently being held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles while the case proceeds.

The trust battle now adds another complicated legal issue to his already high-profile criminal case. While Reiner maintains that the money belongs to him and should be available for his defense, the trustee argues that releasing it could undermine the interests of the other potential beneficiaries if he is ultimately convicted.

For now, the funds remain blocked, leaving the court to determine whether California’s slayer statute can prevent Reiner from receiving money from the trust before his criminal case reaches a final resolution.

Reiner is scheduled to return to court for a pretrial hearing on Sept. 15.