A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Monday deferred a ruling on whether Nick Reiner, 32, can access a trust fund to pay for his legal defense against charges that he murdered his parents. Judge Ruben Garcia scheduled a final decision for Oct. 23, 2026, stating that the court required more time to review objections to the request. Reiner, who was not present for the Monday hearing, is accused in the December 2025 deaths of actor-director Rob Reiner, 78, and producer Michele Singer Reiner, 70.
The legal dispute centers on California's "slayer statute," a law that prevents individuals from inheriting assets from a person they are found to have intentionally killed. Attorneys for Reiner filed a petition in June, arguing that their client has only been accused, not convicted, and that the trustees are withholding funds without legal justification. The petition states that Reiner requires the money to fund his defense against first-degree murder charges involving allegations of lying in wait and the use of a knife.
Trustee Jodi Pais Montgomery filed court papers opposing the request, asserting that Reiner is not entitled to the funds. Montgomery contended that Reiner previously consented to let a former trustee indefinitely withhold a distribution of approximately $585,000 that he was eligible to receive upon turning 30 in 2023. In court papers filed Friday, Reiner disputed this, stating he never authorized his mother or any trustee to withhold the distribution and that he was never informed the money was available to him.
The case tests the application of California’s slayer statute in the pre-conviction phase of a capital case. While the statute is designed to prevent those who commit homicide from profiting from their crimes, Reiner’s defense argues that withholding the funds before a jury has reached a verdict undermines his legal rights. The outcome could set a precedent for how trustees and courts handle the inheritance rights of beneficiaries who are indicted but not yet convicted of killing the grantors of a trust.
For the broader legal community and the public, the case highlights the tension between estate law and criminal proceedings. The indictment alleges the crimes involved a "high degree of cruelty" and that the victims were "particularly vulnerable," factors that could influence the District Attorney’s eventual decision on whether to seek the death penalty. The next procedural step is the Oct. 23 hearing, where the judge will determine if Reiner can draw from the $1.5 million to pay his attorneys or if the funds will remain frozen pending the trial's outcome.