jschrock wrote:1) your clients are leading the pitch?
2) you use a direct lead belay even at a hanging belay?
1&2) If I am Guiding an accomplished and experienced climber that I have PREDETERMINED and has PRE-DEMONSTRATED knowledge and experience prior to the gig, has hired me as a partner to accompany him/she to go do a route or just needs a hired "Slave", YES! Had three last year and one was one powerful and awesome climber!!!!!
Something that I do as well when at a Hanging Belay, I set up a DIRECT BELAY and then clip either a short runner or my PAS to the established DIRECT System as a back up. This can be done as well to "Soften" the initial blow I guess.
As Kris stated, everyone should KNOW how to do this and is not REQ'd. I prefer to do it because after years of wall climbs I have learned that it keeps the Belay System clear/separate of all the other stuff that is going on. It also allows me more freedom at a stance to do things on a slow pitch and as I have stated, makes that emergency TIE OFF that much easier and quicker.
This is more than what is required but I have found it to be more of my liking for the reasons I stated above.