SCHEDULE II - CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF REGISTRANT - Statements of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	2 Months Ended	3 Months Ended							11 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2014
Expenses:
Income before income tax	$ 1,182									$ 399,842	$ 593,997	$ 583,289
Successor
Revenues:
Net investment income		$ 288,872	$ 496,150	$ 482,729	$ 488,460	$ 475,117	$ 467,165	$ 440,620	$ 436,291	1,632,948	1,942,456
Realized investment gains (losses)		(1,415)	12,457	24,268	5,417	8,229	(69,693)	(79,306)	(13,468)	(163,882)	32,623
Other income		67,263	102,147	107,642	102,148	103,716	103,862	108,312	109,094	388,531	415,653
Total revenues		722,327	1,116,987	1,123,646	1,116,401	1,126,913	1,008,988	960,593	1,018,761	3,710,669	4,483,947
Expenses:
Interest—subordinated debt											27,000
Interest—other											137,600
Total benefits and expenses		629,500	996,572	990,567	947,740	955,071	886,143	873,333	921,851	3,310,827	3,889,950
Income before income tax		92,827	120,415	133,079	168,661	171,842	122,845	87,260	96,910	399,842	593,997
Income tax expense
Current										1,471	(46,719)
Deferred										130,072	247,687
Total income tax expense		29,966	48,148	39,785	56,541	56,494	41,654	26,853	33,070	131,543	200,968
Net income		$ 62,861	$ 72,267	$ 93,294	$ 112,120	$ 115,348	$ 81,191	$ 60,407	$ 63,840	268,299	393,029
Successor | PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION
Revenues:
Dividends from subsidiaries										32,365	541,762
Service fees from subsidiaries										220,105	250,668
Net investment income										49,925	8,607
Realized investment gains (losses)										3,817	(29,289)
Other income										44	9,828
Total revenues										306,256	781,576
Expenses:
Operating and administrative										121,433	143,941
Interest—subordinated debt										17,191	19,408
Interest—other										40,596	40,729
Total benefits and expenses										179,220	204,078
Income before income tax										127,036	577,498
Income tax expense
Current										(58,547)	334
Deferred										99,146	20,715
Total income tax expense										40,599	21,049
Income before equity in undistributed income from subsidiaries										86,437	556,449
Equity in undistributed income of subsidiaries										181,862	(163,420)
Net income										$ 268,299	$ 393,029
Predecessor
Revenues:
Net investment income	175,180											2,197,724
Realized investment gains (losses)	(42,602)											(148,751)
Other income	36,421											430,428
Total revenues	340,909											4,403,572
Expenses:
Total benefits and expenses	339,727											3,820,283
Income before income tax	1,182											583,289
Income tax expense
Current	(31,118)											197,943
Deferred	30,791											471
Total income tax expense	(327)											198,414
Net income	1,509											384,875
Predecessor | PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION
Revenues:
Dividends from subsidiaries	16											301,314
Service fees from subsidiaries	19,530											213,093
Net investment income	4,809											64,776
Realized investment gains (losses)	(15,863)											(2,786)
Other income	0											6
Total revenues	8,492											576,403
Expenses:
Operating and administrative	8,549											116,517
Interest—subordinated debt	2,823											33,873
Interest—other	6,113											84,528
Total benefits and expenses	17,485											234,918
Income before income tax	(8,993)											341,485
Income tax expense
Current	6,376											10,605
Deferred	(11,123)											8,798
Total income tax expense	(4,747)											19,403
Income before equity in undistributed income from subsidiaries	(4,246)											322,082
Equity in undistributed income of subsidiaries	5,755											62,793
Net income	$ 1,509											$ 384,875