When Laura's mother came home after hip surgery, Laura used two weeks of vacation helping with therapy, meal prep, and travel to appointments. When the time ran out, she faced a dilemma: return to work and leave her mother alone, or take unpaid leave and fall behind on bills. Maine's new paid family medical leave program (PFML), which opened for applications recently, aims to eliminate such decisions. The law goes into effect on May 1st. Under the program, eligible employees and the self-employed may take up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a loved one.

A will guides your assets and your loved ones through your final chapter. But not every will suits every situation; each has advantages and disadvantages. Let’s explore some of the most common types of wills and their purposes in estate planning.

An average of six out of every ten American adults lack an estate plan. Like a sandcastle washed away, without a plan, the lifetime legacy you’ve built could vanish. When your loved ones grieve, as medical bills mount and deeds gather dust, your final wishes can remain a mystery.

Can you make decisions for your young adult child if they have an accident or become seriously ill? When a child has reached the legal age of adulthood (in Maine, that's 18 and older), parents have fewer rights over them than they do over minors. An advance directive and a durable power of attorney authorize you to act on behalf of your child. If you haven't made any incapacity plans yet, you can both secure your futures together, and you'll feel better that you're protecting your rights and your child's needs. 

If you want to talk to a loved one about an advance health-care directive, you may not know where to begin. Here is some advice on how to plan the conversation, how to broach the topic, and what to say.