Alan Jackson, the former lawyer for Nick Reiner, has disclosed that he stepped away from the murder case due to a lack of payment as originally agreed upon.
In a declaration submitted on Monday regarding Reiner’s new request to access his $1.5 million trust fund, Jackson expressed that he would take on the case again if the necessary funds were provided. This was reported by TMZ.
Jackson noted that he was approached to assist with the criminal defense right after Reiner’s arrest for allegedly murdering his parents, Rob and Michelle Reiner, in December 2025.
Jackson stated that he began strategizing on the case even while transitioning out of California—despite the funds being unavailable at that moment.
He mentioned attending discussions with family representatives to formulate a defense strategy for Nick. He indicated that Nick’s brothers, Jake and Romy, were also part of these conversations and had verbally committed to help finance Nick’s defense.
Initially, Jackson and his firm started to invest in the case after receiving assurances from the Reiner family that funds would be released soon.
However, he reported discovering in late December that the expected financial support would not materialize, leading him to leave the case.
Jackson argued that he wouldn’t have diverted his firm’s resources or halted other professional endeavors had he known the promised fees wouldn’t come through.
Despite stepping back, Jackson informed Nick’s trustees that he was open to returning to the case and was willing to discuss different payment options.
In a January podcast appearance, Jackson refrained from elaborating on the specifics of his withdrawal, simply stating that there was a problem with his ability to continue representing Nick without divulging further details.
In the latest petition, Nick, represented by public defender Kimberly Greene, indicated he needs access to part of the trust fund to bring Jackson back as his lawyer.
The petition mentions that Nick’s late parents set up a trust for him, with stipulations for disbursement upon reaching certain ages. Nick, now 32, has yet to receive the funds he was supposed to at age 30 and is unclear about the total amount in the trust.
As for Nick, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, he was arrested after the tragic stabbing deaths of his parents in their Brentwood home. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges of first-degree murder.
Depending on the outcome, he faces a potential life sentence without parole or even the death penalty.
