Standing confidently on the steps of the Los Angeles Superior Court, lawyer Alan Jackson cut a striking figure in his perfectly tailored suit, complete with an English spread collar shirt and a neatly folded pocket square. His expression was serious as he addressed the media gathered before him.

Just moments prior, his client, 32-year-old Nick Reiner, had appeared in court for the first time to face charges for the murder of his famous parents, Hollywood director Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele, 68.

Jackson, known for his formidable legal prowess, once led the prosecution against music producer Phil Spector before transitioning to private practice. His high-profile clientele includes Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, making him one of America’s top-paid criminal defense lawyers, reportedly earning over $2,000 per hour, according to a source for the Daily Mail.

Nick Reiner’s legal battle is expected to span at least three months, even if he opts for an insanity plea, promising a substantial financial reward for Jackson. However, when pressed about how he came to represent Nick and who was footing the bill, the usually forthcoming Jackson offered no comment.

“I can’t comment,” he stated.

According to an insider close to the Reiner family, the legal fees are being covered by Rob and Michele’s estate. This source, a lifelong friend of the family with ties to Rob’s legendary father, Carl Reiner, revealed that the grieving relatives have engaged Jackson’s services, tapping into the family’s estimated $200 million fortune to keep Nick out of prison.

They would rather Nick get locked up for life in a mental institution than be incarcerated, the source said.

On Wednesday, Nick appeared in court in a suicide vest, his wrists shackled, as if to illustrate his mental fragility. The hearing had been delayed by a day, with Jackson saying Nick was unavailable to attend due for medical reasons.

When speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, Alan Jackson declined to comment on how he was hired to represent Nick Reiner and how he would be paid

Nick was in court Wednesday wearing a blue anti-suicide vest, it was his first appearance since the death of his parents. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder

Rob and Michele Reiner were found dead in their home on Sunday with stab wounds. Their cause of death was a result of ‘multiple sharp force injuries,’ according to a report from the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner

Indeed, the tormented young man has had issues since childhood, the family friend said, with his struggles allegedly manifesting even before he discovered drugs. Nick’s first stint in rehab was at the age of 15; he went on to have at least 17 more.

‘He was always deeply troubled,’ the source said. ‘Then he got into drugs and the problem magnified to horrific levels. He made his parents’ lives hell. On the surface they had everything but the tragedy of Nick was always lurking there in the background and that worry never went away. They did everything to help that boy.

‘The reality is he had violent outbursts. Michele told me about it. The family has been scared of him. He could be violent and super aggressive.

‘Michele would say: “I don’t know what else we can do?”‘

The couple are said to have been found in their beds with their throats slit, and are believed to have been killed in the early hours of Sunday morning, after appearing at comedian Conan O’Brien’s holiday party the night before, where Nick reportedly argued with other guests.

One looming question is what now happens to the rest of the Reiner family millions.

Under California’s ‘Slayer Statute’, anyone who kills another person is automatically blocked from inheriting from their victim. But that does not stop relatives from chipping in. And the Reiner estate is prodigious.

The couple, who married in 1989, had three children together: Jake, 34; Nick, and Romy, 27. Rob also had an adopted daughter Tracy, 61, from his first marriage to actress and director Penny Marshall. 

The Reiners, who married in 1989, had three children together: Jake (middle), Nick and Romy (pictured together in 2014)

Nick (pictured with his sister Romy) has had issues since childhood, a family friend said, with his struggles allegedly manifesting even before he discovered drugs

Two years after tying the knot, he and Michele bought their forever home for $4.75 million from Rob’s mentor, celebrated TV producer Norman Lear. The six-bedroom Brentwood mansion was originally built by Oscar-winning actor Henry Fonda and it’s now thought to be worth more than $13 million.

The property includes expansive gardens, swimming pool and a tennis court, plus another home across the street, which is home to daughter Romy, an aspiring actress.

The Reiners also own a $15 million Malibu beach house, where the family have gathered for various celebrations along the picture-perfect coast. In recent years, the property has been available for rent on Zillow.

Reiner inherited significant funds from his father, who created The Dick Van Dyke Show. But it was only after Reiner made a string of hit movies – in particular When Harry Met Sally – that he finally, according to the family insider, stopped being ‘Carl’s son’ and became his ‘own man.’

On top of his director credits, Reiner also founded a production company, Castle Rock Entertainment, which most notably produced hit long-running 90s sitcom Seinfeld, and likely earned him huge sums from syndication and residuals over the years.

The family insider said: ‘Rob worried about his own kids living in his shadow and he sympathized because he knew what it was like to grow up with a famous parent.’

To that end, Reiner made it clear his children could not rest on their laurels. He intended for them to carve their own path and told many friends that much of his money would be given away to charity. Speculation online puts the value of the entire estate at $200 million, although the precise figure is unknown.

‘Rob has always been clear that a lot of his fortune was going to charity,’ a second family source told the Daily Mail. ‘He didn’t want his kids to feel like they didn’t have to work and find their own way in the world. Obviously, I haven’t seen his will but I know that a lot of the inheritance is going to go to causes that Rob and Michele believed in. This isn’t a secret; they’ve said this for years.

‘There is plenty of money for his kids; they’ll all get something substantial as well. But Rob and Michele will do some good work in their legacy. I wish I could tell you what they’re donating to, I don’t know.’

One looming question is what happens to the Reiner family millions. (Pictured: Their Brentwood home. The swimming pool is seen, right, near the bushes.) 

The property includes expansive gardens and a tennis court. (Pictured: Jake playing tennis on the court)

Romy (pictured with her father) lives across the street from her parents in Brentwood

The Reiners also own a $15 million Malibu beach house

Romy is seen at the family’s Malibu home 

Reiner was a known activist and philanthropist, devoting much of his time to initiatives supporting underprivileged children, and later campaigning for a host of LGBTQ+ issues.

In 1998 he hired a political advisor, Chad Griffin, a young staffer in the Clinton White House, and threw his weight behind Proposition 10 – a plan to put a 50 percent tax on cigarettes, and use the money to support education and healthcare for young children.

The ballot initiative passed, leading to speculation Reiner may run for governor of California.

But instead, he turned his attention to activism, hosting fundraisers for Hillary Clinton and setting up the American Foundation for Equal Rights to campaign for marriage equality.

Karen Bass, the former mayor of LA, said that Reiner ‘always used his gifts in service of others,’ while fellow activist Jane Fonda said Rob and Michele were ‘wonderful, caring, smart, funny, generous people.’

‘They were amazing people and wonderful parents who gave of themselves to make the world a better place,’ said Demi Moore.

How unspeakably sad, then, that their final gift may be keeping their killer out of prison.