Rob Reiner murder case: Nick Reiner's $1.5M trust fund access blocked; here's why trustees said no

Nick Reiner, who awaits trial over the deaths of his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, has been denied access to money from a family trust. The trustees overseeing the fund have reportedly opposed his request to receive money for legal expenses and commissary costs, highlighting California's so-called “slayer statute.”

The 32-year-old sought court approval in June to obtain funds from a trust his parents established in his name in 1993. In his petition, he alleged that the trust is worth more than $1.5 million and argued that a portion of it should have been distributed to him after he turned 30.

Why trustees rejected his request

The dispute is around whether Reiner can receive money from a trust established by the very people whose deaths he is accused of causing. Paul Kanin and Jodi Pais Montgomery, the previous and incoming fiduciaries overseeing the trust, have objected to releasing the funds while the criminal case remains unresolved.

Also Read: Rob Reiner death case: Nick Reiner pleads not guilty in parents’ murder

Their position relies on California's “slayer statute,” which can prevent a person from receiving an inheritance, property or trust assets from someone they have “feloniously and intentionally” killed.

Montgomery's lawyers argued in court filings that releasing the money before the criminal proceedings are resolved could create an irreversible situation if Reiner is ultimately found responsible for his parents' deaths.

A filing by Lauriann Wright, an attorney for Montgomery, states, “California has enacted no exception permitting a killer’s inheritance to be used for criminal-defense costs.”

The trustees have also indicated that, if the statute ultimately applies, the trust assets would instead go to Reiner's siblings, Jake and Romy.

Also Read: Nick Reiner’s defense lawyer withdraws from murder case - what could be the reason?

Reiner asked for money for legal expenses

In his June petition, Reiner said he had yet to receive what he described as the age-30 distribution from the trust. He asked that the first portion of the payment be released so he could pay his attorneys and maintain his commissary account while in custody.

He said the money would help cover basic necessities, including hygiene products and other personal items.

One filing states, “Nick’s sense of urgency is real, but it did not arise in a vacuum. It arises from the deaths of his parents, the very settlors of the Trust at issue, and Nick is presently accused of causing those deaths.”

Also Read: Who was Rob Reiner? Career, relationship and children of the Hollywood director found dead at his US home

Reiner has challenged the trustees' decision, arguing, "I did not give my consent to any Trustee of my Trust to withhold, defer, or retain my Age-30 Distribution indefinitely as ‘property of the Trust,'" he stated in court documents.

He further argued, “I have never understood anything I did (or did not do) to constitute giving the Trustee my consent to indefinitely withhold my Age-30 Distribution from me and retain it as property of the Trust even after I have asked for it, and it was not my intention to consent to that.”

What was the case?

Reiner's attorney, Anita P. Wu, has disputed the trustees' interpretation of the law. Speaking to The New York Times, Wu said, “The slayer statute requires a determination, not a mere accusation. Nick is presumed innocent and has been convicted of nothing.”

Also Read: Romy Reiner ‘fled’ as she discovered dad Rob Reiner’s body, was unaware that mom Michele Reiner was dead inside the house

Reiner was indicted in July on two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the December 2025 deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner. The new indictment replaced the earlier murder charges and also includes an alleged special circumstance involving lying in wait, along with an allegation concerning the use of a knife.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Reiner remains in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles. His next pretrial hearing is scheduled for September 15.