SCHEDULE II - CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF REGISTRANT - Statements of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended								11 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income		$ 864,308	$ 82,542	$ 84,268	$ 75,414	$ 72,267	$ 93,294	$ 112,120	$ 115,348	$ 268,299	$ 1,106,532	$ 393,029
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Realized investment (gains) losses		18,701	$ 64,191	$ 54,471	47,037	(12,457)	$ (24,268)	$ (5,417)	(8,229)	163,882	196,142	(32,623)
Deferred income tax										130,072	(697,727)	247,687
Accrued income tax										65,415	40,280	(162,619)
Other, net										(63,144)	(101,784)	(81,091)
Net cash provided by operating activities										355,628	195,272	249,638
Cash flows from investing activities
Maturities and principal reductions of investments, available-for-sale										1,052,198	696,574	1,299,753
Sale of investments, available-for-sale										1,336,350	1,802,215	1,956,302
Cost of investments acquired, available-for-sale										(3,546,474)	(4,029,233)	(4,982,907)
Change in other long-term investments										(73,907)	(91,518)	(250,557)
Change in short-term investments										(11,221)	(279,191)	(72,810)
Purchase of property and equipment										(8,862)	(37,533)	(5,295)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities										(1,492,815)	(2,624,770)	(4,366,985)
Cash flows from financing activities
Principal payments on line of credit arrangement and debt										(338,093)	(1,156,498)	(633,074)
Dividends to shareowners										0	(143,848)	(89,343)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities										1,070,549	2,333,626	4,069,457
Change in cash										(66,638)	(95,872)	(47,890)
Cash at beginning of period					348,182				396,072	462,710	348,182	396,072
Cash at end of period	$ 462,710	252,310				348,182				396,072	252,310	348,182
PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income										268,299	1,106,532	393,029
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Realized investment (gains) losses										(3,817)	45,091	29,289
Equity in undistributed net income of subsidiaries										(181,862)	(873,415)	163,420
Depreciation expense										363	739	506
Receivables from subsidiaries										(13,759)	(28,794)	15,181
Income tax receivable										(13,170)	10,548	2,109
Deferred income tax										99,146	46,020	20,715
Accrued income tax										(23,246)	0	0
Accrued expenses and other liabilities										(192,234)	(52,846)	(33,639)
Other, net										5,419	4,226	(16,426)
Net cash provided by operating activities										(54,861)	258,101	574,184
Cash flows from investing activities
Maturities and principal reductions of investments, available-for-sale										0	0
Sale of investments, available-for-sale										0		0
Cost of investments acquired, available-for-sale										0	(26,423)	(59,025)
Return of and/or (additional) capital investments in subsidiaries										110,793	38,410	(45,762)
Change in other long-term investments										0	0	(10)
Change in short-term investments										0	(79,818)	0
Purchase of property and equipment										0	0	(1,649)
Sales of property and equipment										0	(100)	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities										110,793	(67,931)	(106,446)
Cash flows from financing activities
Borrowings under line of credit arrangements and debt										330,000	1,035,000	265,000
Principal payments on line of credit arrangement and debt										(338,093)	(1,156,498)	(633,074)
Dividends to shareowners										0	(143,848)	(89,343)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities										(8,093)	(265,346)	(457,417)
Change in cash										47,839	(75,176)	10,321
Cash at beginning of period					$ 78,936				$ 68,615	20,776	78,936	68,615
Cash at end of period	20,776	$ 3,760				$ 78,936				68,615	$ 3,760	$ 78,936
Predecessor
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income	1,509
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Realized investment (gains) losses	42,602
Deferred income tax	30,791
Accrued income tax	(32,803)
Other, net	(149,889)
Net cash provided by operating activities	191,223
Cash flows from investing activities
Maturities and principal reductions of investments, available-for-sale	59,028
Sale of investments, available-for-sale	191,062
Cost of investments acquired, available-for-sale	(149,887)
Change in other long-term investments	(25,339)
Change in short-term investments	(40,314)
Purchase of property and equipment	(649)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	22,994
Cash flows from financing activities
Principal payments on line of credit arrangement and debt	(60,000)
Dividends to shareowners	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(130,918)
Change in cash	83,299
Cash at beginning of period	379,411									462,710
Cash at end of period	462,710
Predecessor | PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income	1,509									268,299
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Realized investment (gains) losses	15,863
Equity in undistributed net income of subsidiaries	(5,755)
Depreciation expense	23
Receivables from subsidiaries	(4,076)
Income tax receivable	0
Deferred income tax	(11,123)
Accrued income tax	5,875
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	18,329
Other, net	(2,334)
Net cash provided by operating activities	18,311
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
Return of and/or (additional) capital investments in subsidiaries	0
Change in other long-term investments	0
Change in short-term investments	0
Purchase of property and equipment	0
Sales of property and equipment	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	0
Cash flows from financing activities
Borrowings under line of credit arrangements and debt	0
Principal payments on line of credit arrangement and debt	(60,000)
Dividends to shareowners	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(60,000)
Change in cash	(41,689)
Cash at beginning of period	62,465									$ 20,776
Cash at end of period	$ 20,776