Rob and Michele Reiner’s Son Seeks Trust Fund for Legal Defense

Nick Reiner, son of Rob and Michele Reiner, is seeking access to his more than $1.5 million trust fund to help finance his legal defense against charges of double homicide. Attorneys for Nick Reiner, 32, filed a petition in a Los Angeles court on Monday, requesting access to his trust, which he should have begun receiving two years ago.

The petition states that his access has been denied despite ‘unambiguous instructions’ from his parents regarding fund disbursement in the trust established in 1993. ‘Nick loved his parents and is devastated by their deaths. However, the facts surrounding their deaths are not the focus of this Trust litigation,’ the attorneys wrote. ‘Like any accused, Nick is presumed innocent and entitled to utilize his own resources for his defense.’

The trust forms part of the Reiners’ estate plan, separate from a larger family trust involving the estate’s assets. Each of the Reiners’ three children, including siblings Jake and Romy Reiner, has an individual trust.

Nick Reiner’s lawyers, Anita P. Wu and Geoffrey A. Neri, did not respond to requests for comments. Jake and Romy Reiner also did not provide comments. Nick Reiner has pleaded not guilty to two murder charges concerning his parents’ December killings. Authorities reported that Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were found murdered in their Brentwood home. Their son was arrested shortly afterward.

According to the petition, Nick Reiner was entitled to half the trust when he turned 30, with the rest due at 35. His attorneys termed these distributions ‘mandatory and unconditional.’ ‘They represented a binding commitment by Nick’s parents that these resources were for Nick’s use and benefit,’ the petition emphasized.

Despite the trust holding over $1.5 million exclusively for Nick, with full access expected when he turns 34, the Trustee has not released funds due on his 30th birthday or provided clarity on their amount. Nick Reiner seeks these funds to support his legal defense and jail commissary needs. The petition stressed the Trustee’s discretion abuse in refusing these requests, especially amidst his pending trial on double homicide charges.

The petition highlights Nick Reiner’s inability to fund his legal needs while incarcerated. Initially represented by Alan Jackson, who withdrew due to funding issues, Nick now relies on a public defender. Jackson expressed willingness to ‘resume representation’ should funds be available.

Nick Reiner aims for fund disbursement ‘according to its terms.’ The case is progressing slowly. Sources revealed that Nick Reiner’s schizophrenia medications were adjusted before his parents’ slayings.