Nick Reiner disputes access to family trust funds amid murder trial

Nick Reiner, who is awaiting trial on charges alleging he murdered his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, is engaged in a legal battle to access family trust funds. His attorneys argue that a substantial portion of the disputed assets originated from his grandfather, Carl Reiner, and should therefore be exempt from California’s ‘slayer statute.’ This statute allows courts to prevent individuals accused of intentional killing from inheriting property from their victims.

Reiner’s legal team contends that the funds from Carl Reiner should be treated separately from the estates of his parents. Additionally, they argue that assets belonging to Nick Reiner personally should be released to cover legal fees and basic needs. Lawyers stated that Reiner has been unable to access any money for his criminal defense or even for basic subsistence items from the jail commissary.

The dispute centers on a distribution that was reportedly due to Reiner upon his 30th birthday in September 2023. While Reiner has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges, California law allows civil courts to determine if a killing was felonious and intentional under a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard, regardless of a final criminal conviction.