Nick Reiner trust fund dispute heads to December mediation

Lawyers for Nick Reiner and the trustee of a fund set up by his parents told a Los Angeles judge on Friday, 23 October, that they had agreed to mediation over whether he can use the money for his defence. No release of funds was agreed, and a judge would have to approve any settlement.

Reiner is charged with murdering his parents, film director Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner, in December 2025. He has pleaded not guilty. The dispute over the trust is separate from the criminal case.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Reiner is seeking $558,000 (£420,000) that his lawyers say should have been paid to him when he turned 30 in 2023, before his parents’ deaths. He wants to use it to rehire criminal defence lawyer Alan Jackson, who withdrew from the case. Reiner is now represented by a public defender. A petition described by CBS Los Angeles says the separate trust holds at least $1.5 million; that is not the sum identified as his current request.

The trustee’s lawyers argue that California’s so-called slayer statute bars Reiner from accessing the fund. His lawyers dispute that, saying he has not been convicted and the payment fell due before his parents died. Us Weekly reported that Reiner’s lawyer Anita Wu confirmed 16 December as the mediation date. Both sides are due back in court on 17 March 2027, whether or not the talks produce a deal.