ABC’s Modern Family cast members Sofia Vergara, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell have filed a lawsuit over contract renegotiations for their fourth season of the award-winning show.

The group is suing 20th Century Fox Television, claiming that their contracts are illegal under California state law. The lawsuit states their “contracts prohibit them from working on other projects and bind them to the ABC show from February 2009 to June 30, 2016.”

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Under California state law, personal service contracts are prohibited from exceeding seven years. ”Modern Family has been a breakout critical and financial success,” the lawsuit states. “That success, however, has been built upon a collection of illegal contracts.”

Then there’s the issue of pay raises. The actors claim their contracts put a limit on the raise they can receive per season. Vergara’s contract reportedly states that her raise can’t exceed five percent per season, and the others stop at four percent per year.

So will the judge void their contracts?

[image: UsMagazine]