If it is very important to you, you should ask about it, especially if certain responses could lead you to look elsewhere. I'd rather ask something that could look negative then end up in an unfavorable situation later.
As an example, I am interviewing with a private practice. I did ask about maternity leave, because no leave of any kind other than "vacation" is specified in the contract. I found out that the female doc in the practice only took two weeks after vag deliveries of her two children. Nobody ever gets sick around there. This is important to me, since I have a chronic illness, have had two c-sections, and had to take 8 weeks after my last delivery due to complications. Even if they had FMLA, I'm not sure that my health needs fit the values of this practice. I was told that if I took maternity leave, my contract would "go on hiatus" during the 6-8 weeks, then I'd return later as if nothing happened. No mention of short term disability pay, continued benefits, etc. I work hard, but if I get sick, I feel that their opinion of me could drop pretty fast.
Anyway, if an answer to a question could make or break your decision, you should ask before you sign.
