The cast of 'Modern Family' want to get out of their current contracts for the show - which is most likely a bold move to score a heftier paycheck.

The cast members, Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet and Sofia Vergara, have just filed a lawsuit against 20th Century Fox TV, demanding their contracts be declared null and void. According to the lawsuit, the contracts violate a "7 year" law in California that bars personal service contracts with a duration longer than 7 years. As a result, the cast wants them tossed out.

The cast members also want the freedom to pursue other acting opportunities outside "Modern Family" and Fox - a freedom that's severely restricted by their current contracts. And in the latest of bitter salary negotiations between the cast members and 20th Century Fox, it seems that Fox recently made an offer to increase the cast's salary following this schedule:
- $150,000 per episode plus a $50,000 per episode bonus for season 4
- $200,000 per episode for season 5, $225,000 for season 6
- and up to $325,000 for an anticipated season 9
But the cast reportedly rejected the offer and is now demanding much, much more.

As for "Modern Family" patriarch Ed O'Neill, he's not listed as a plaintiff on the lawsuit -- but The Hollywood Reporter states that he has since decided to join his cast members out of solidarity.