Roger Ebert, the film critic famous for popularizing the “two thumbs up” concept for movies, passed away last month after a long battle with cancer.

Ebert’s estate gives us an important lesson: take warnings from people close to you very much to heart. Ebert’s friend and co-host Gene Siskel died of a brain tumour in 1999. While you should keep your will and powers of attorney up to date generally, a friend or loved one becoming very ill or dying suddenly should always be a wake-up call to get  your own estate plan in order.

h/t to the Evan Guthrie Law Firm for the original post.