SCHEDULE II - CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF REGISTRANT - Debt and Other Obligations (Details) - USD ($)	1 Months Ended	11 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Aug. 10, 2017
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			$ 784,610,000	$ 966,926,000
Total debt			945,052,000	1,163,285,000
Total subordinated debt securities			495,289,000	441,202,000
Future maturities of debt, excluding notes payable to banks, and subordinated debt securities, for the next five years
Debt maturities due in 2018			150,500,000
Debt maturities due in 2019			435,800,000
Debt maturities due thereafter			357,000,000
Interest Expense
Interest expense		$ 58,600,000	61,300,000	62,100,000
6.40% Senior Notes (2007), due 2018
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			150,000,000	150,000,000
Total debt			$ 150,518,000	156,663,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)			6.40%
7.375% Senior Notes (2009), due 2019
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			$ 400,000,000	400,000,000
Total debt			$ 435,806,000	454,688,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)			7.375%
8.45% Senior Notes (2009), due 2039
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			$ 232,928,000	246,926,000
Total debt			$ 357,046,000	$ 381,934,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)			8.45%	8.45%
Future maturities of debt, excluding notes payable to banks, and subordinated debt securities, for the next five years
Redemption of subordinated debt			$ 21,600,000
Par value of extinguished debt			14,000,000	$ 53,100,000
Pre-tax gain on extinguishment			2,000,000	9,800,000
6.25% Subordinated Debentures (2012), due 2042, callable 2017
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total subordinated debt securities			$ 0	290,002,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)			6.25%
6.00% Subordinated Debentures (2012), due 2042, callable 2017
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total subordinated debt securities			$ 0	151,200,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)			6.00%
5.35% Subordinated Debentures (2017), due 2052
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Total subordinated debt securities			$ 495,289,000	0
Stated interest rate (as a percent)			5.35%
2015 Credit Facility
Future maturities of debt, excluding notes payable to banks, and subordinated debt securities, for the next five years
Line of credit, maximum borrowing capacity			$ 1,000,000,000.0
Line of credit, maximum borrowing capacity to be granted upon entity's request			$ 1,250,000,000.00
Facility fee percentage			0.125%
2015 Credit Facility | Prime Rate
Future maturities of debt, excluding notes payable to banks, and subordinated debt securities, for the next five years
Base of floating rate interest rate payments			prime rate
2015 Credit Facility | LIBOR One-Month Rate
Future maturities of debt, excluding notes payable to banks, and subordinated debt securities, for the next five years
Base of floating rate interest rate payments			one-month LIBOR
PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			$ 782,928,000	966,926,000
Total debt			943,370,000	1,163,285,000
Total subordinated debt securities			495,289,000	441,202,000
Future maturities of debt, excluding notes payable to banks, and subordinated debt securities, for the next five years
Debt maturities due in 2018			150,500,000
Debt maturities due in 2019			435,800,000
Debt maturities due thereafter			357,000,000
PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION | 6.40% Senior Notes (2007), due 2018
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			150,000,000	150,000,000
Total debt			$ 150,518,000	156,663,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)			6.40%
PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION | 7.375% Senior Notes (2009), due 2019
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			$ 400,000,000	400,000,000
Total debt			$ 435,806,000	454,688,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)			7.375%
PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION | 8.45% Senior Notes (2009), due 2039
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			$ 232,928,000	246,926,000
Total debt			$ 357,046,000	381,934,000
Stated interest rate (as a percent)			8.45%
Future maturities of debt, excluding notes payable to banks, and subordinated debt securities, for the next five years
Redemption of subordinated debt			$ 21,600,000	82,700,000
Par value of extinguished debt			14,000,000	53,100,000
Pre-tax gain on extinguishment			$ 2,000,000	9,800,000
PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION | 6.25% Subordinated Debentures (2012), due 2042, callable 2017
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate (as a percent)			6.25%		6.25%
Future maturities of debt, excluding notes payable to banks, and subordinated debt securities, for the next five years
Amount of debt issued					$ 287,500,000
PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION | 6.00% Subordinated Debentures (2012), due 2042, callable 2017
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate (as a percent)			6.00%		6.00%
Future maturities of debt, excluding notes payable to banks, and subordinated debt securities, for the next five years
Amount of debt issued					$ 150,000,000.0
PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION | 5.35% Subordinated Debentures (2017), due 2052
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate (as a percent)			5.35%
PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION | 6.125% Subordinated Debentures (2004), due 2034, callable 2009
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Stated interest rate (as a percent)			8.45%
PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION | 2015 Credit Facility
Future maturities of debt, excluding notes payable to banks, and subordinated debt securities, for the next five years
Line of credit, maximum borrowing capacity			$ 1,000,000,000.0
Line of credit, maximum borrowing capacity to be granted upon entity's request			$ 1,250,000,000.00
Base of floating rate interest rate payments			LIBOR
Facility fee percentage			0.125%
PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION | 2015 Credit Facility | Prime Rate
Future maturities of debt, excluding notes payable to banks, and subordinated debt securities, for the next five years
Base of floating rate interest rate payments			prime rate
PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION | 2015 Credit Facility | Federal Funds Rate
Future maturities of debt, excluding notes payable to banks, and subordinated debt securities, for the next five years
Base of floating rate interest rate payments			Federal Funds rate
Interest rate added to the base rate (as a percent)			0.50%
PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION | 2015 Credit Facility | LIBOR One-Month Rate
Future maturities of debt, excluding notes payable to banks, and subordinated debt securities, for the next five years
Base of floating rate interest rate payments			one-month LIBOR
Interest rate added to the base rate (as a percent)			1.00%
PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION | Long-term debt and subordinated debt securities
Interest Expense
Interest expense		$ 57,800,000	$ 61,300,000	60,100,000
Predecessor
Interest Expense
Interest expense	$ 8,900,000
Predecessor | PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION | Long-term debt and subordinated debt securities
Interest Expense
Interest expense	$ 8,900,000
Credit Facility
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			0	170,000,000
Total debt			0	170,000,000
Credit Facility | PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			0	170,000,000
Total debt			0	170,000,000
Subordinated debentures
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			500,000,000	437,500,000
Subordinated debentures | 6.25% Subordinated Debentures (2012), due 2042, callable 2017
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			0	287,500,000
Subordinated debentures | 6.00% Subordinated Debentures (2012), due 2042, callable 2017
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			0	150,000,000
Subordinated debentures | 5.35% Subordinated Debentures (2017), due 2052
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			500,000,000	0
Future maturities of debt, excluding notes payable to banks, and subordinated debt securities, for the next five years
Debt issuance costs			4,800,000
Amount of debt issued			500,000,000.0
Subordinated debentures | PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			500,000,000.0	437,500,000
Total subordinated debt securities			495,289,000	441,202,000
Subordinated debentures | PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION | 6.25% Subordinated Debentures (2012), due 2042, callable 2017
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			0	287,500,000
Total subordinated debt securities			0	290,002,000
Subordinated debentures | PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION | 6.00% Subordinated Debentures (2012), due 2042, callable 2017
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			0	150,000,000
Total subordinated debt securities			0	151,200,000
Subordinated debentures | PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION | 5.35% Subordinated Debentures (2017), due 2052
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Outstanding Principal			500,000,000	0
Total subordinated debt securities			$ 495,289,000	$ 0