2.4.0.81090 - Disclosure - Subsequent Eventtruefalsefalse1false falsefalseD2013Q2YTDhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000352736duration2013-01-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:001true 1us-gaap_SubsequentEventsAbstractus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse0Subsequent Event2false 2us-gaap_SubsequentEventsTextBlockus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00<div style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times New Roman;"> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; punctuation-wrap: simple;"><b><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold;" size="2">9.&#160; Subsequent Event</font></b></p> <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; punctuation-wrap: simple;">&#160;</p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold;" size="2">Sale agreement</font></b></p> <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;">&#160;</p> <p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; TEXT-INDENT: 0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 10pt;" size="2">On July&#160;17, 2013, the Company entered into a definitive agreement with Resolution Life Holdings,&#160;Inc. to sell Lincoln Benefit Life Company and its business generated through independent master brokerage agencies for $600 million.&#160; The transaction is expected to close by December&#160;31, 2013.&#160; The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.&#160; A loss on disposition estimated to be in the range of approximately $475 million to $525 million, after-tax, will be recorded in third quarter 2013.&#160; The total reduction in shareholder&#8217;s equity, including the impact to unrealized capital gains and losses, is estimated to be in the range of approximately $575 million to $675 million.&#160; This transaction will meet the criteria for held-for-sale accounting beginning in third quarter 2013.</font></p> <p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;">&#160;</p> </div>falsefalsefalsenonnum:textBlockItemTypenaThe entire disclosure for significant events or transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date through the date the financial statements were issued or the date the financial statements were available to be issued. Examples include: the sale of a capital stock issue, purchase of a business, settlement of litigation, catastrophic loss, significant foreign exchange rate changes, loans to insiders or affiliates, and transactions not in the ordinary course of business.No definition available.false0Subsequent EventfalseSubsequent EventUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://www.allstate.com/role/DisclosureSubsequentEvent12