SCHEDULE II - CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF REGISTRANT - Statements of Cash Flows (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
Successor
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income		$ 62,861	$ 72,267	$ 93,294	$ 112,120	$ 115,348	$ 81,191	$ 60,407	$ 63,840	$ 268,299	$ 393,029
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Realized investment (gains) losses		1,415	(12,457)	$ (24,268)	$ (5,417)	(8,229)	69,693	$ 79,306	$ 13,468	163,882	(32,623)
Deferred income tax										130,072	247,687
Accrued income tax										65,415	(162,619)
Other, net										(63,144)	(81,091)
Net cash provided by operating activities										355,628	249,638
Cash flows from investing activities
Maturities and principal reductions of investments, available-for-sale										1,052,198	1,299,753
Sale of investments, available-for-sale										1,336,350	1,956,302
Cost of investments acquired, available-for-sale										(3,546,474)	(4,982,907)
Change in Other Long Term Investments, Net										(73,907)	(250,557)
Purchase of property and equipment										(8,862)	(5,295)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities										(1,492,815)	(4,366,985)
Cash flows from financing activities
Principal payments on line of credit arrangement and debt										(338,093)	(633,074)
Dividends to shareowners										0	(89,343)
Withholdings of share-based payment arrangements settled in cash										0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements										0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities										1,070,549	4,069,457
Change in cash										(66,638)	(47,890)
Cash at beginning of period		462,710				396,072				462,710	396,072
Cash at end of period	$ 462,710		348,182				396,072			396,072	348,182
Successor | PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income										268,299	393,029
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Realized investment (gains) losses										(3,817)	29,289
Equity in undistributed net income of subsidiaries										(181,862)	163,420
Depreciation expense										363	506
Receivables from subsidiaries										(13,759)	15,181
Income tax receivable										(13,170)	2,109
Deferred income tax										99,146	20,715
Accrued income tax										(23,246)	0
Accrued expenses and other liabilities										(192,234)	(33,639)
Other, net										5,419	(16,426)
Net cash provided by operating activities										(54,861)	574,184
Cash flows from investing activities
Maturities and principal reductions of investments, available-for-sale											0
Sale of investments, available-for-sale										0
Cost of investments acquired, available-for-sale										0	(59,025)
Return of and/or (additional) capital investments in subsidiaries										110,793	(45,762)
Change in Other Long Term Investments, Net	0									0	(10)	$ 0
Purchase of property and equipment										0	(1,649)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities										110,793	(106,446)
Cash flows from financing activities
Borrowings under line of credit arrangements and debt										330,000	265,000
Principal payments on line of credit arrangement and debt										(338,093)	(633,074)
Payments to affiliates										0	0
Dividends to shareowners										0	(89,343)
Withholdings of share-based payment arrangements settled in cash											0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements											0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities										(8,093)	(457,417)
Change in cash										47,839	10,321
Cash at beginning of period		20,776				$ 68,615				20,776	68,615
Cash at end of period	20,776		$ 78,936				$ 68,615			68,615	$ 78,936
Predecessor
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income	1,509											384,875
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Realized investment (gains) losses	42,602											148,751
Deferred income tax	30,791											471
Accrued income tax	(32,803)											11,140
Other, net	(149,889)											(74,061)
Net cash provided by operating activities	191,223											723,497
Cash flows from investing activities
Maturities and principal reductions of investments, available-for-sale	59,028											1,198,690
Sale of investments, available-for-sale	191,062											2,271,611
Cost of investments acquired, available-for-sale	(149,887)											(3,603,567)
Change in Other Long Term Investments, Net	(25,339)											(87,580)
Purchase of property and equipment	(649)											(8,152)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	22,994											88,916
Cash flows from financing activities
Principal payments on line of credit arrangement and debt	(60,000)											(785,000)
Dividends to shareowners	0											(72,697)
Withholdings of share-based payment arrangements settled in cash	0											(32,173)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements	0											20,948
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(130,918)											(899,544)
Change in cash	83,299											(87,131)
Cash at beginning of period	379,411	462,710								462,710		466,542
Cash at end of period	462,710											379,411
Predecessor | PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income	1,509											384,875
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Realized investment (gains) losses	15,863											2,786
Equity in undistributed net income of subsidiaries	(5,755)											(62,793)
Depreciation expense	23											279
Receivables from subsidiaries	(4,076)											17,990
Income tax receivable	0											0
Deferred income tax	(11,123)											8,798
Accrued income tax	5,875											196
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	18,329											17,648
Other, net	(2,334)											14,192
Net cash provided by operating activities	18,311											383,971
Cash flows from investing activities
Maturities and principal reductions of investments, available-for-sale	0											1,298
Sale of investments, available-for-sale	0											0
Cost of investments acquired, available-for-sale	0											(7,011)
Return of and/or (additional) capital investments in subsidiaries	0											(3,654)
Purchase of property and equipment	0											(62)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	0											(9,429)
Cash flows from financing activities
Borrowings under line of credit arrangements and debt	0											500,000
Principal payments on line of credit arrangement and debt	(60,000)											(785,000)
Payments to affiliates	0											0
Dividends to shareowners	0											(72,697)
Withholdings of share-based payment arrangements settled in cash	0											(32,173)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payment arrangements	0											20,948
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(60,000)											(368,922)
Change in cash	(41,689)											5,620
Cash at beginning of period	62,465	$ 20,776								$ 20,776		56,845
Cash at end of period	$ 20,776											$ 62,465