Nick Reiner’s lawyer was in court on Monday, Aug. 17, fighting to access a $1.5 million trust fund in order to pay for his defense in the murder trial of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner. Attorney Julia Haye, a partner at Greenberg Glusker, breaks down the facts for ET, explaining California Probate Code § 250, aka the slayer statute, which is the main hold-up for his ability to tap into those funds. ‘Most states have it, as well, where if someone feloniously and intentionally kills the decedent, the grantor of the trust, then they are not entitled to take any inheritance from the settler, the grantor,’ Haye explains. ‘So, the issue here is, whether or not that statute will apply in this instance. The key issue is Nick’s trust provided for distribution to take place at age 30, which is being referred to as the age 30 distribution. He hit age 30 two years before the crimes occurred and he was indicted; so, Nick’s counsel is arguing that Nick is entitled to that money now, because he was entitled to it two years ago. The incoming trustee is arguing that he never made the request when he was age 30; that he therefore consented to leave the funds in the trust, under the purview of the trustee, and now that he has been charged with these crimes, the slayer statute has been implicated and before any distributions can be made, the court needs to determine if the slayer statute applies.’ Nick previously entered a not guilty plea in the December 2025 murders of his parents.
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