According to T 1101/13, that the partner of a professional representative was expected to give birth on a date close to the fixed oral proceedings could be accepted as a substantive reason for requesting a change of the date for oral proceedings. In the circumstances of the case, the board decided to maintain the date fixed for the oral proceedings.
Source: http://www.epo.org/law-practice/legal-texts/html/caselaw/2019/e/clr_iii_c_6_1_4_n.htm
Date retrieved: 17 May 2021