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Boilerplate

Governing law and jurisdiction

This clause decides which country's law applies and where you would have to fight or defend a dispute. If it points to a far-off legal system, even a valid claim can be too expensive to bring, which quietly weakens all your other protections. A UK freelancer is usually best served by English law and English courts.

What to look for

Which country's law governs the contract and whose courts decide disputes. For a UK freelancer, a foreign governing law and foreign courts can make any dispute impractically expensive to pursue or defend.

How Clause rates it

RedGoverned by a distant foreign law and exclusive foreign jurisdiction unrelated to either party, making enforcement or defence realistically unaffordable for a small supplier.
AmberGoverning law or jurisdiction is the client's home turf (reasonable if that is where the client is) but worth noting for the cost of any dispute, or the clause is silent.
GreenGoverned by the law of, and disputes heard in, the freelancer's own jurisdiction (for a UK freelancer, England & Wales), or a neutral, convenient forum both sides accept.

Wording you can ask for

Suggested redline 
This agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of it.

The UK angle

For a UK-based freelancer, choosing the law of England and Wales (or Scotland/Northern Ireland as applicable) and local courts keeps any dispute in a familiar, cost-accessible forum.

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