Nick Reiner’s effort to use money from a trust established by his parents to help fund his legal defense has hit a major new obstacle just before a court hearing on the dispute.
Incoming trustee Jodi Pais Montgomery is opposing any immediate distribution from the trust, which Reiner says contains more than $1.5 million. Court papers obtained by PEOPLE cite California’s so-called “slayer statute” and argue that releasing the money before the legal issue is resolved could be irreversible.
Reiner, 32, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he murdered his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer and producer Michele Singer Reiner, in December 2025. His civil attorney Anita P.
Wu argues that a murder charge alone cannot trigger the inheritance law, emphasizing that her client has not been convicted and that the statute requires a legal determination. The dispute is heading toward an August 17 probate hearing in Los Angeles.
Reiner Says Half the Trust Was Due to Him at 30
The trust at issue is separate from the larger Reiner family trust. According to The Associated Press, Rob and Michele established individual trusts for Nick and his siblings, Jake and Romy, with Nick’s dating back to 1993.
Reiner’s petition says the terms required half of his trust to be distributed when he turned 30 and the remainder when he turns 35. He turned 30 in September 2023 but says he never received the first mandatory distribution.
His lawyers argue that distinction is crucial because the age-30 payment did not become available because of his parents’ deaths. They characterize it as money that was already due for his benefit and say he needs it for legal expenses as well as basic necessities and commissary purchases while incarcerated.
Reiner’s petition also seeks early access to the portion otherwise due when he turns 35, arguing that his legal and personal needs justify releasing it now.
Reiner initially retained high-profile defense attorney Alan Jackson. According to the petition, Jake and Romy had agreed to fund that representation before the anticipated money failed to materialize and Jackson later withdrew. Jackson has said his firm would be willing to resume representing Reiner if funding becomes available.
A Murder Charge Alone Does Not Decide the ‘Slayer Statute’ Issue
California Probate Code bars a person who “feloniously and intentionally” kills someone from receiving certain property or benefits through that person’s estate or a trust covered by the law. The rule is designed to prevent a killer from financially benefiting from the killing.
But a criminal conviction is not the only way the statute can apply, and a murder charge by itself does not establish that it does. Under California Probate Code Section 254, a final conviction for a felonious and intentional killing is conclusive. If there is no final conviction, a probate court may independently determine by a preponderance of the evidence whether the killing was felonious and intentional.
Wu said the statute requires a determination rather than “a mere accusation,” while stressing that Reiner remains presumed innocent in the criminal case. Montgomery’s side argues that no distribution should occur until the probate court determines whether the statute affects Reiner’s entitlement. Her attorney has also argued that releasing the funds now would be irreversible if Reiner is later legally disqualified from receiving them.
The Trust Dispute Could Also Affect Jake and Romy Reiner
The trustee’s filings say Montgomery has fiduciary obligations not only to Nick but also to people who could receive the trust assets if he is ultimately disqualified. According to PEOPLE, the filings identify Jake and Romy as the beneficiaries who could receive the money instead. Their potential interest depends on what the probate court ultimately decides about the statute and Reiner’s entitlement to the funds.
The Probate Hearing Comes Days After a New Murder Indictment
The trust fight is unfolding separately from a criminal case that moved significantly closer to trial last week. According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, a grand jury returned an indictment on July 20 that was unsealed on August 12, charging Reiner with two counts of murder with special-circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder by means of lying in wait. The indictment also alleges that he personally used a knife.
Reiner pleaded not guilty when the indictment was unsealed. If convicted as charged, he could face death or life in prison without the possibility of parole, although prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek the death penalty.
The August 17 probate hearing will address his access to the trust rather than determine guilt in the criminal case. His next pretrial hearing on the murder charges is scheduled for September 15.