An apparatus and method for filtering a liquid utilize a filter apparatus including a bypass filter, a full flow filter, and a flow balancing element for dividing a total inlet flow of fluid to the filter apparatus into a bypass portion, passing through the bypass filter, and a full flow portion, passing through the full flow filter. The bypass filter has a lower filtering efficiency than the full flow filter element, so that a venturi tube is not required for causing the bypass portion to pass through the bypass filter. The flow balancing element divides the flow into a desired bypass portion and a desired full flow portion, at a predetermined operating temperature. Below the operating temperature, the bypass portion increases and the full flow portion decreases, the bypass portion becoming greater than the full flow portion at a second predetermined temperature below the operating temperature.