Nick Reiner blocked from trust fund by California's 'slayer statute'

Theresa Braine, New York Daily News on Aug 17, 2026

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California’s “slayer statute” stands in the way of Nick Reiner and the trust fund his parents set up for him when he was a baby, the professional fiduciary for the fund said in court filings last week.

Reiner stands accused of murdering his parents, Hollywood director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, last December, and since June has been seeking access to the $1.6 million fund so he can pay for a private defense lawyer. At the very least, his current attorney has argued in court filings, the 32-year-old should get the portion he was entitled to when he turned 30.

The Reiners’ younger son pleaded not guilty last week to new charges in the murders after being indicted by a grand jury for “lying in wait” to ambush them at their family home in Los Angeles' Brentwood neighborhood. He has entered the same plea regarding the murders themselves.

Reiner’s initial ask came as the trust was changing hands from Paul Kanin to Jodi Montgomery, both of whom have opposed the request, according to People. The fiduciaries cited the law, which states that “a person who feloniously and intentionally kills the decedent is not entitled” to “any property, interest, or benefit under a will of the decedent, or a trust created by or for the benefit of the decedent or in which the decedent has an interest.”

“California has enacted no exception permitting a killer’s inheritance to be used for criminal defense costs,” wrote Lauriann Wright, a lawyer for professional fiduciary Jodi Montgomery, according to The New York Times, which first reported the rejection. Wright also wrote that Reiner had opted out of receiving the approximately $558,000 payout he was eligible for when he turned 30. But he denies giving consent to withhold money and leave it in the trust fund.

Reiner’s attorney, Anita Wu, argued that the tenet “innocent until proven guilty” applies to the trust fund issue, which means he’s entitled to the money because he has not been convicted.

“The slayer statute requires a determination, not a mere accusation,” she countered, according to The New York Times. “Nick is presumed innocent and has been convicted of nothing.”

His siblings, Romy and Jake Reiner, would be entitled to the funds instead, Wright maintained, noting that Montgomery has a fiduciary responsibility toward them in addition to Nick, according to the Times.

Further, handing over the money now would be an “irreversible” move, wrote Wright, even if Reiner were to be convicted of the murders after receiving the funds.

A hearing on the case is scheduled for Monday, the Times reported.

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