Nick Reiner files court petition for $1.5M trust fund to pay for murder defense
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LOS ANGELES - Nick Reiner, the 32-year-old son of late Hollywood filmmaker Rob Reiner and producer Michele Singer Reiner, is seeking the immediate release of funds from an individual trust established by his parents.
According to a petition filed by his civil attorneys on Monday, the money is urgently needed to fund his legal defense against charges that he killed them.
What we know:
Nick Reiner is currently jailed and facing two counts of murder with special circumstances following the December 14 stabbing deaths of his parents at their home in Brentwood.
He has pleaded not guilty.
According to the newly filed court petition, Rob and Michele Reiner established smaller individual trusts for Nick and his siblings in 1993, separate from the primary Reiner family estate.
The trust documents left "unambiguous instructions" that Nick was to receive half of his fund upon turning 30 and the remaining balance at age 35.
The filing alleges that Nick never received his age-30 payout and that the trustee, attorney Paul R. Kanin, has used "a shifting series of excuses and justifications" to withhold the funds since taking over management in February.
These reasons reportedly included subjective concerns regarding Nick's competence, which his attorneys argue have no legal bearing on a mandatory distribution.
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The petition states that the individual trust contains at least $1.5 million in assets, though Kanin has reportedly refused to provide an exact valuation.
Nick Reiner is seeking both the overdue age-30 funds and the immediate release of his age-35 funds to pay for high-profile defense attorney Alan Jackson. Jackson initially took the case but withdrew within a month due to a lack of funding.
The court documents reveal that Nick's siblings, Jake and Romy Reiner, initially agreed to fund Jackson's representation but later reversed their decision.
In a declaration accompanying the petition, Jackson stated that his firm stands "ready, willing, and able to resume representation of Mr. Reiner" should the necessary funds become available.
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Jake Reiner is speaking out for the first time about the tragic 2025 double murder of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, and the charges against his brother Nick.
What we don't know:
Publicly available details surrounding the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner remain heavily restricted.
Law enforcement officials have not disclosed a suspected motive for the attacks, and leaks from both the prosecution and defense have been virtually nonexistent.
Additionally, a strict court order has kept the specific details of the couple's autopsies entirely secret, leaving the foundational timeline and nature of the crime scene hidden from public view.
It's also unknown exactly how much money is currently held within Nick Reiner's specific trust fund.
Timeline:
- 1993: Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner establish a separate, individual trust for Nick Reiner with mandatory payouts at ages 30 and 35.
- December 14, 2025: Rob and Michele Singer Reiner are found stabbed to death in their Brentwood home. Nick Reiner is arrested hours later.
- January 2026: High-profile defense attorney Alan Jackson temporarily steps down from the case after Nick's siblings withdraw their financial support.
- February 2026: Attorney Paul R. Kanin takes over management of Nick Reiner's individual trust.
- April 2026: Brother Jake Reiner breaks his silence, publicly describing the tragedy as "a living nightmare."
- June 9, 2026: Civil attorneys for Nick Reiner file a probate petition in Los Angeles County court demanding the immediate release of his trust assets.
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Details surrounding the devastating deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele have continued to emerge.
What's next:
Nick Reiner is currently scheduled to return to the courtroom for a pretrial hearing in September.
While the charges carry special circumstances that make him eligible for capital punishment, District Attorney Nathan Hochman stated that his office has not yet finalized a decision on whether they will actively seek the death penalty.
Trustee Paul R. Kanin did not immediately return requests for comment regarding Monday's filing, and a probate judge has yet to schedule a formal hearing to rule on the distribution of the trust.
The Source: This report is based on a civil probate petition and legal declarations filed by Nick Reiner's attorneys in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Supplementary background details regarding the criminal proceedings and public reactions were drawn from recorded courtroom statements by defense counsel Alan Jackson, public briefings by District Attorney Nathan Hochman, and interviews granted by the Reiner family. The Associated Press contributed.