Full Breakdown
Nick Reiner’s Bid to Access $1.5 Million Trust Fund for Murder Defense
6/13/2026, 12:45:16 AM
The Petition to Unlock Trust Assets
On June 8, 2024, Nick Reiner—32, son of the late director Rob Reiner and producer Michele Singer Reiner—filed a probate petition seeking court approval to draw on a $1.5 million trust established by his parents. The filing requests the funds to replace public defender Kimberly Greene with celebrity criminal-defense lawyer Alan Jackson and to cover “basic necessities while incarcerated.”
Trust Structure and California Inheritance Bar
The trust documents stipulate that the beneficiary receives half of the principal at age 30 and the remainder at age 35. Reiner turned 30 in 2023, vesting the first $750,000. California’s Slayer Statute, however, bars any person who kills a parent from inheriting from that parent’s estate. If a murder conviction occurs, the statute would treat Reiner as predeceased, denying the second payout and potentially the vested portion.
Parties Involved
- Nick Reiner – defendant, petitioner.
- Jake Reiner and Romy Reiner – siblings alleged to have agreed to fund the defense.
- Alan Jackson – former private counsel who withdrew after funding fell through.
- Anita P. Wu – attorney filing an email on Nick’s behalf.
- Trustees – estate lawyer Paul Kanin (USA Today) and trustee Jodi Montgomery (NY Daily News) are each identified in different reports.
- Sean Weissbart – estate-law expert commenting on the trust and Slayer Statute.
- Seth Zuckerman – criminal-defense specialist on costs of a mental-health defense.
Funding Dispute
Jackson’s declaration states that the siblings “participated in communications … and agreed verbally to act as third-party payors” for his representation. After learning that “none of the anticipated third-party funding would be provided,” Jackson withdrew, citing professional obligations. Wu’s email to the trustee asserts that “Jackson’s fees were negotiated and agreed to by Nick’s siblings … before they reversed that commitment.” The current trustee, identified as Paul Kanin, has denied distribution, citing “concerns about Nick’s competence to manage a trust,” while Montgomery reportedly plans to seek a court order to release the money.
Expert Analysis of Legal Consequences
Weissbart explains that the Slayer Statute “cuts you off completely from any inheritance if you killed the person,” making any post-conviction claim to the trust untenable. Zuckerman notes that a robust insanity defense would require costly psychiatric experts, and without private counsel the defense would rely on lower-rate public-defender resources, potentially limiting the quality of expert testimony.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the trustee’s identity (Paul Kanin vs. Jodi Montgomery) and on whether the siblings serve as trustees. The petition does not specify whether the $1.5 million would be drawn from Nick’s personal trust, another family trust, or an external source, leaving the funding source ambiguous.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Reiner's siblings participated in communications concerning the representation and agreed verbally to act as third-party payors for Mr.” — Alan Jackson, attorney
- “My decision to proceed was based on my understanding that Mr. Reiner had retained my firm and that the agreed-upon fee would be funded by third-party payors.” — Alan Jackson, attorney
- “were negotiated and agreed to by Nick's siblings on his behalf before they reversed that commitment.” — Anita P. Wu, attorney
- “The Slayer Statute is absolute. It doesn't give you a potential entitlement for certain reasons” — Sean Weissbart, estate attorney
- “Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that!” — Alan Jackson, attorney
What’s Next
Trustee Montgomery is expected to file a motion next week seeking judicial approval to release the funds, while Nick Reiner’s murder trial remains pending.
