Employee Benefits Plan Projected Benefit Obligation (Details) (USD $)								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011 Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member] Promissory Note To FAFC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member] Promissory Note To FAFC [Member]	Jun. 02, 2010 Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member] Promissory Note To FAFC [Member] FAFC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Supplemental Employee Retirement Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Supplemental Employee Retirement Plans, Defined Benefit [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 SERP And Restoration Plans [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 SERP And Restoration Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Promissory Note due to First American Financial Corporation	$ 908,295,000	$ 720,889,000	$ 0	$ 18,787,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount					19,900,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Benefit Obligation [Roll Forward]
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation						(30,660,000)	(26,954,000)	(26,954,000)	(258,631,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Service Cost								565,000	2,743,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Interest Cost								1,434,000	7,300,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Actuarial Net (Gains) Losses								3,058,000	1,735,000
Defined Benefit Plans Seperation FAFC								0	(228,347,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefits Paid								(1,352,000)	(5,952,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Plan Amendments								0	(9,156,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation						(30,660,000)	(26,954,000)	(30,659,000)	(26,954,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Roll Forward]
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Employer								1,352,000	5,952,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefits Paid								(1,352,000)	(5,952,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets						0	0	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan								(30,659,000)	(26,954,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, before Adoption of FAS 158 Recognition Provisions, Accrued Benefit Liability								(30,659,000)	(26,954,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Unamortized Gain (Loss) Arising During Period, before Tax								15,565,000	16,529,000
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Net Prior Service Cost (Credit) Arising During Period, before Tax								(10,209,000)	(11,352,000)
Other Comprehensive Income Stockholders Equity Spinoff Distribution								0	(2,955,000)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Adjustment, before Tax								5,356,000	2,222,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation						(30,660,000)	(26,954,000)	(30,659,000)	(26,954,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Accumulated Benefit Obligation						30,660,000	26,954,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets						$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0