Financial Hardship Behind Bars
Lawyers representing 33-year-old Nick Reiner have formally stated that their client has not been able to secure even a nominal amount from his family trust. According to legal documents filed this week, Reiner remains unable to access these funds to provide for his basic necessities while in custody awaiting trial.
In their filing to the Los Angeles Superior Court, attorneys Anita P. Wu and Geoffrey A. Neri noted: «In the meantime, Nick still has not been able to access even $5 from his trust to buy basic subsistence items from the jail commissary.» This response was submitted in reaction to objections raised by the current successor trustee, Jodi Pais Montgomery, and former trustee Paul R. Kanin.
The Legal Dispute Over the Trust
The conflict over the $1.5 million trust fund began in June, when Reiner sought to claim half of the sum, arguing that he reached the designated age of 30 in September 2023. The trust was originally established by his parents upon his birth in 1993.
However, representatives for the trustees have moved to block these disbursements. The opposition is rooted in California’s «Slayer Statute,» which prohibits individuals from inheriting assets or benefiting from trusts created by victims of crimes they are accused of committing.
Background of the Criminal Case
Nick Reiner is currently facing charges of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of his parents, Rob Reiner (78) and Michele Singer Reiner (70). The incident occurred at the couple's home in Los Angeles on December 14, 2025.
Reiner, who has a documented history of struggling with mental health and substance abuse, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder, which include special circumstances of multiple homicides and murder by lying in wait. Previously, his former counsel, Alan Jackson, emphasized that Reiner requires these funds to properly manage his legal defense and exercise his constitutional rights regarding representation.