SCHEDULE II - CONDENSED FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF REGISTRANT (Details 6) (USD $)							12 Months Ended								0 Months Ended							12 Months Ended								12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012 Issued Shares	Dec. 31, 2011 Issued Shares	Dec. 31, 2010 Issued Shares	Dec. 31, 2009 Issued Shares	Dec. 31, 2012 Treasury Stock	Dec. 31, 2011 Treasury Stock	Dec. 31, 2010 Treasury Stock	Dec. 31, 2012 Outstanding Shares	Dec. 31, 2011 Outstanding Shares	Dec. 31, 2010 Outstanding Shares	Dec. 31, 2012 Building contiguous to home office	Dec. 31, 2012 Indemnification Agreement	Oct. 10, 2012 Golden Gate V and Red Mountain	Oct. 10, 2012 Red Mountain LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION	Dec. 31, 2012 PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION Issued Shares	Dec. 31, 2011 PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION Issued Shares	Dec. 31, 2010 PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION Issued Shares	Dec. 31, 2009 PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION Issued Shares	Dec. 31, 2012 PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION Treasury Stock	Dec. 31, 2011 PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION Treasury Stock	Dec. 31, 2010 PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION Treasury Stock	Dec. 31, 2012 PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION Outstanding Shares	Dec. 31, 2011 PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION Outstanding Shares	Dec. 31, 2010 PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION Outstanding Shares	Dec. 31, 2012 PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION Building contiguous to home office	Dec. 31, 2012 PROTECTIVE LIFE CORPORATION Indemnification Agreement	Dec. 31, 2012 Golden Gate III Vermont Captive Insurance Company (Golden Gate III)	Apr. 23, 2010 Golden Gate III Vermont Captive Insurance Company (Golden Gate III)	Dec. 31, 2012 Golden Gate IV Vermont Captive Insurance Company (Golden Gate IV)	Dec. 10, 2010 Golden Gate IV Vermont Captive Insurance Company (Golden Gate IV)
Commitments and contingencies
Indemnification agreement with certain officers, maximum														$ 10,000,000															$ 10,000,000
Approximate price for which the company may purchase building at the end of lease term													75,000,000															75,000,000
Future minimum rental payments required under capital lease
2013													679,000															679,000
2014													75,065,000															75,065,000
Letter of credit term																														12 years		12 years
Maximum borrowing capacity																														580,000,000	505,000,000	625,000,000	270,000,000
Maximum amount up to which LOC will be periodically increased																														610,000,000		790,000,000
Term of transaction															20 years
Maximum financing capacity under transaction															945,000,000	945,000,000
Principal amount of note issued																$ 275,000,000
Activity in the Company's issued and outstanding common stock
Balance at the beginning of the period (in shares)	88,776,960	88,776,960	88,776,960	88,776,960	88,776,960	88,776,960	7,107,765	3,108,983	3,196,157	81,669,195	85,667,977	85,580,803						88,776,960	88,776,960	88,776,960	88,776,960	7,107,765	3,108,983	3,196,157	81,669,195	85,667,977	69,905,807
(Reissuance of)/deposits to treasury stock (in shares)							3,531,702	3,998,782	(87,174)	(3,531,702)	(3,998,782)	87,174										3,531,702	3,998,782	(87,174)	(3,531,702)	3,998,782	87,174
Balance at the end of the period (in shares)	88,776,960	88,776,960	88,776,960	88,776,960	88,776,960	88,776,960	10,639,467	7,107,765	3,108,983	78,137,493	81,669,195	85,667,977						88,776,960	88,776,960	88,776,960	88,776,960	10,639,467	7,107,765	3,108,983	78,137,493	81,669,195	85,667,977
Preferred Stock, shares authorized	4,000,000	4,000,000															4,000,000
Preferred Stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 1	$ 1															$ 1.00