Jake and Romy Reiner, children of the late Rob Reiner, may have changed their minds regarding their incarcerated brother Nick Reiner's former attorney, Alan Jackson, who claims Jake and Romy initially agreed to pay his legal fees after he was hired but that the siblings later had a change of heart.
Nick has been charged with the murders of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, and is awaiting trial. He has pleaded not guilty.
Jackson Claims Siblings Agreed to Pay, Then Reversed
Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton weighed in on Jackson's recent interview, noting that Jackson claimed he spoke to Jake and Romy, who verbally agreed to act as third-party payors for Nick's defence. Jackson also claimed that a family representative assured him that the retainer agreement would be promptly returned and the agreed-upon funds would be promptly paid, but they never were.
'I don't know if I believe him. But if he is telling the truth, maybe Jake and Romy changed their minds because they might have agreed before knowing all that we know now,' Hilton said.
Jake and Romy Reiner have not publicly responded to Jackson's claims.
Is Nick Reiner Still Entitled to His Trust?
Court documents filed this week reveal that Nick has been seeking access to the $1.5 million (£1,121,124) trust that his parents set up for him while they were still alive. Some have questioned whether he should have access to the money given the charges against him.
Nick is entitled to the full amount of his trust legally, and a petition revealed that he was supposed to receive half of the amount when he turned 30, with the remainder due when he turns 35.
'Nick loved his parents, and he is devastated by their deaths. But the facts about what did and did not happen to them are not at issue in this Trust litigation,' the petition reads.
Also included in the petition are demands for Nick to receive a portion of the trust to cover his legal fees as well as his basic living needs. His older siblings previously hired Jackson to assist with his case, but the attorney ended his professional relationship with the Reiners after failing to receive payment.
Jackson Says He Would Return — If the Trust Is Released
Jackson has since said he is willing to take on Nick's case again, provided funds from the trust are made available, and that he would consider reasonable alternatives to the original fee arrangement. Nick is currently being represented by a public defender named Kimberly Greene.
While speaking with TMZ, Jackson called the decision to withhold Nick's trust funds unfair.
'Nick Reiner had a trust. He had a trust well before the passing of his parents. That trust is an irrevocable trust that is his money. It's in the name of a trustee. He's the beneficiary, and that trustee has a duty and obligation to see to that trust in the best interests of his client, and that client is one person, and that's Nick Reiner,' he said.
Last year, Rob and Michele Reiner were found dead in their home. The couple had attended a party with Nick just hours before the tragedy.
