Nick Reiner seeks access to $1.5m trust fund while facing charges in Rob and Michele Reiner killings

Nick Reiner, the son of acclaimed filmmaker Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner, has filed a legal petition seeking access to a trust fund worth more than $1.5 million as he awaits trial on charges related to the deaths of his parents.

According to court documents obtained by People, Reiner is asking a California court to order the release of funds from a trust established for his benefit by his parents. The 32-year-old argues that he is entitled to receive money from the trust under its existing terms and that the trustee has improperly withheld distributions that should have been made years ago.

The petition states that Reiner was scheduled to receive half of the trust when he turned 30 and the remaining balance at age 35. His legal filing claims the trust's distributions are non-discretionary and contends that concerns raised about his competency do not justify withholding the funds entirely. Reiner's attorneys argue there has been no formal judicial or medical determination declaring him incompetent.

Reiner is seeking immediate access to the money to cover legal expenses and other personal needs while incarcerated. The filing notes that his former attorney, prominent criminal defence lawyer Alan Jackson, withdrew from the case because funds were unavailable to continue representation. Reiner is currently being represented by a public defender but hopes to secure private counsel if the trust money is released.

The trust dispute comes as Reiner continues to face two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of his parents, who were found dead in their Brentwood, Los Angeles, home in December 2025. Prosecutors allege that both victims died from multiple sharp-force injuries. Reiner has pleaded not guilty to all charges and remains in custody without bail.

In the probate filing, Reiner's legal team emphasised that the trust litigation is separate from the criminal case. The petition states that his love for his parents and the facts surrounding their deaths are not at issue in the dispute over access to the trust. Instead, the filing focuses on whether the trustee has complied with the terms established by Rob and Michele Reiner when the trust was created.

The court has not yet ruled on Reiner's request. A decision could determine whether he gains access to hundreds of thousands of dollars that his legal team says are necessary to fund his defence as the high-profile criminal case moves forward. Meanwhile, prosecutors have not yet announced whether they will seek the death penalty if Reiner is convicted.