The idea that adding an oil filter would increase the maintenance work and contribute to leaking shows that someone isn't doing the maintenance on their aircraft. The maintenance manual checklist for an annual/100 hour/50 hour inspection has you removing and inspecting the screen (item 5 on the whole checklist), which actually takes more stuff apart and requires gaskets that the oil filter does not. If you are not doing this and signing off the inspection, you are a pencil whipper and should be kicked out of the profession.
You pull 4 bolts, 8 washers, the pressure screen housing, and replace a 61173 gasket, and another gasket if you have the thermostatic valve in the housing.
With the filter, you unscrew the old filter, screw on the new one, and safety it. (As an A&P/IA, to me a pilot is just another airplane part, and usually the one most likely to fail. It is not designed or certified to perform any maintenance function, and should never be relied upon to do so.) The oil filter is a good idea.
