Statutes like the “slayer rule” exist for the most tragic scenarios—those rare and difficult cases where an individual stands to inherit from someone whose death they may have caused. While fortunately uncommon, these situations serve as a stark reminder of why comprehensive backup language in an Estate Plan is so critical.
A high-profile case out of California has brought this complex intersection of criminal law and estate administration back into the public eye.
The Background
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, filmmaker Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were fatally stabbed in their Brentwood home on December 14, 2025. Their son, Nick Reiner, was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of murder, along with a special circumstance allegation of multiple murders. As of this writing, he has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
The situation evolved into an estate planning dispute when Nick filed a petition in a Los Angeles probate court. He requested access to a Trust his parents created for him, reportedly worth $1.5 million, in order to hire private criminal defense counsel. The attorney for the Trust declined to release the funds, leaving the matter for the probate court to decide.
The Complexity of Trust Terms and Vesting
The timing of this specific Trust introduces a nuanced legal question. The Trust reportedly dictated that Nick was to receive half of the funds at age 30 and the remainder at age 35. Because he turned 32 prior to his parents’ passing, the age-30 distribution was technically due roughly two years before the tragedy occurred.
While the petition notes this money was never paid out, it does not specify why. If the Trust granted the Trustee the discretion to withhold distributions under certain conditions, the Trustee may have been executing the exact protective measures the parents intended. This raises a pivotal legal question: should a financial interest that potentially vested before a death be treated the same as property passing because of a death?
Understanding California’s Slayer Statute
Like most states, California has strict laws designed to prevent an individual from profiting from a crime. Under California law, a person who feloniously and intentionally kills a decedent is barred from:
- Receiving property under a Will or taking assets via intestacy.
- Receiving an interest from a Trust.
- Claiming certain community property rights.
- Serving in a fiduciary capacity as an executor, trustee, guardian, or conservator.
- Maintaining joint tenancy interests or collecting on beneficiary designations, such as life insurance.
The legal mechanism operates by treating the accused individual as though they predeceased the decedents. However, enforcing this is rarely simple for a Trustee.
While a final criminal conviction settles the matter conclusively, a probate court can also make a determination independently using the civil standard—a “preponderance of the evidence”—which is a lower threshold than the criminal standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt.” This leaves a Trustee in a precarious position: funding a defense for someone who may later be disqualified, or withholding funds from a beneficiary who has not yet been convicted. If the Trust agreement does not outline specific instructions for pending litigation, the Trustee must look to the court for direction.
The Real-World Lesson for Your Estate Plan
While the vast majority of families will never encounter a slayer statute, they routinely face ordinary disruptions that mimic the very same legal hurdles.
- A primary beneficiary passes away unexpectedly before the creator of the estate plan.
- A named Trustee becomes incapacitated or otherwise unable to serve.
- An ex-spouse inadvertently remains on a retirement account because asset titles were never updated after a divorce.
Clients naturally focus on their primary choices because those choices reflect their life as it looks today. However, the true strength of an Estate Plan lies in its secondary provisions. Comprehensive planning requires establishing clear successor fiduciaries, identifying contingent beneficiaries, and outlining explicit “treated as predeceased” clauses.
Our thoughts are with the remaining members of the Reiner family as they navigate an incredibly painful chapter. For the rest of us, this situation underscores a vital truth: a complete Estate Plan must do more than simply outline your first choices. It must provide your family with a clear, legally sound path forward when life does not unfold as expected.
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- When Backup Language Matters Most: Lessons from the Reiner Estate Dispute - September 1, 2026
- Still Fighting: The Estate Planning Legacy of Shannen Doherty - July 16, 2026
