Nick Reiner Schedules Mediation to Access Trust Fund for Defense

Nick Reiner, charged with the 2025 killings of his parents, moved closer to accessing a family trust fund to finance a private legal defense after attorneys agreed to schedule a global mediation, Deadline reported.

Global Mediation Scheduled in Los Angeles Superior Court

During a probate hearing before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ruben Garcia, legal representatives for the incarcerated defendant and trustee Jodi Montgomery announced an agreement to participate in a global mediation session set for mid-December 2026. The 33-year-old defendant, who is expected to join the upcoming session virtually from the Twin Towers correctional facility in downtown Los Angeles, could secure access to roughly half of the cash pool established by Rob and Michele Reiner in 1993.

We’re happy to report that at your honor’s direction, we met and conferred about mediation and settlement, and all parties have now scheduled a global mediation, Anita Wu told the downtown courtroom on October 23, 2026.

Trustee Dispute Deprives Defendant of Chosen Defense Counsel

The planned mediation follows months of legal fighting over the Nick Reiner Children’s Trust between Montgomery and the accused co-writer of Being Charlie. Wu argued before Judge Garcia that the ongoing financial dispute deprives her client of constitutional rights regarding legal representation.

Every week that this trust dispute continues, Nick continues to be deprived of his constitutional right to defend himself using money that is lawfully his to pay for the lawyer he has chosen, which is Alan Jackson.

Anita Wu

Jackson and his Werksman Jackson & Quinn team resigned as the criminal case advocates on January 7, 2026, due to financial constraints. The defendant has since relied on the Public Defender’s Office and Kimberly Greene during court appearances. Meanwhile, trustee attorney Lauriann Wright expressed optimism outside the courtroom, noting that experienced attorneys are working together to resolve the matter.

Slayer Statute Arguments and Prior Criminal Case Timeline

Core disputes center on how California’s inheritance-denying Slayer Statute applies to the case, determining whether the defendant can receive approximately $550,000 he was eligible to collect upon turning 30 in 2023. The defendant has been held in custody since his arrest on December 14, 2025, after authorities discovered his parents dead in their Brentwood home. On August 12, 2026, he entered a not guilty plea to two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstance claims of lying in wait. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced on September 15, 2026, that prosecutors will not seek the death penalty.

March 2027 Settlement Review and January Court Dates

Judge Garcia scheduled a court calendar date for March 17, 2027, to review any potential settlement stemming from the December mediation. Separate criminal proceedings will resume in January 2027, featuring a contested hearing regarding the unsealing of grand jury testimony.