Nick Reiner, the 32-year-old son of acclaimed director Rob Reiner, is seeking access to money from a trust his parents established for him to help fund his defense against charges that he killed them. His civil attorneys filed a petition in Los Angeles County court on Monday arguing that trustees have unlawfully denied him access to the funds.

Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner were stabbed to death at their home in the upscale Brentwood section of Los Angeles on December 14. Nick Reiner was arrested hours later and has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder. He is eligible for the death penalty, though prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek it.

According to the petition, Rob and Michele Reiner established individual trusts for Nick and his siblings in 1993, with instructions that Nick would receive half the money at age 30 and the remainder at 35. The filing states that Nick never received the funds he was entitled to at 30, and that the current trustee, attorney Paul R. Kanin, has provided various justifications for denying access to the money, including concerns about Nick's competence that the petition argues are irrelevant to a mandatory payout.

The trust contains at least $1.5 million in assets, according to the petition, though the exact amount has not been disclosed. Nick's attorneys argue he should receive both the money he was entitled to at 30 and the remainder he would get at 35, citing his need for legal defense and basic necessities while incarcerated.

Nick Reiner initially retained high-profile defense attorney Alan Jackson, who left the case less than a month later for undisclosed reasons. The petition reveals that Nick's siblings, Jake and Romy Reiner, had initially agreed to pay for Jackson's representation but later reversed their decision. Jackson indicated in a declaration that his firm would resume representation if the trust funds become available.

Rob Reiner was a prolific director known for films including "This is Spinal Tap," "Stand By Me," "A Few Good Men," and "When Harry Met Sally." He met photographer and producer Michele Singer during production of the latter film, and they were married for 36 years. Nick Reiner is scheduled to return to court for a pretrial hearing in September.