2007 transmission filter

i bought transmission oil and a filter to change on my wifes escape, but i can not find where the filter is located. i have what is supposed to be a ford service manual (DVD) for it (bought it off eBay), but i can not find anything about the filter in that, except they talk about an in line filter that can be added. i can not find one of those either, and i do not think it has one. the filter i bought is a good sized black plastic cased thing. the only place i can see that i might be is under the drivers side transmission cover. which looks like a LOT of fun to remove and replace. so i do not want to try tearing it apart unless i know that is where i need to go. her car has the 3.0 liter v-6 in it, and it is not the CVT transmission. can anyone help point where i need to go to replace the filter?

according to google the transmission needs to be disassembled to replace the filter so its probably not something you want to tackle. you would have to remove it from the car. i would change the fluid and call it good

Thanks. who would have ever thought that?! i have worked on my own and our family's vehicles since i was a kid helping my dad. i know things change, but this seems quite odd. the one question that keeps going thru my head, is, does the filter last as long as the transmission does, or does the transmission last as long as the filter? since this is the way it is, changing the oil will now become a regular maintenance item.