General	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of Operations [Text Block]	1. General Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. (“Hallmark” and, together with subsidiaries, “we,” “us” or “our”) is an insurance holding company engaged in the sale of property/casualty insurance products to businesses and individuals. Our business involves marketing, distributing, underwriting and servicing our insurance products, as well as providing other insurance related services. We pursue our business activities through subsidiaries whose operations are organized into five business units that are supported by our insurance company subsidiaries. Our Standard Commercial P&C business unit handles commercial insurance products and services in the standard market. Our Workers Compensation business unit specializes in small and middle market workers compensation business. Our E&S Commercial business unit handles primarily commercial insurance products and services in the excess and surplus lines market. Our newly formed Hallmark Select business unit offers (i) general aviation insurance products and services, (ii) low and middle market commercial umbrella and excess liability insurance on both an admitted and non-admitted basis focusing primarily on trucking, specialty automobile and non-fleet automobile coverage, and (iii) medical professional liability insurance products and services. Our Hallmark Select business unit is the combination of our operations previously known as our General Aviation business unit, our Excess & Umbrella business unit and the medical professional liability business handled by our E&S Commercial business unit. Our Personal Lines business unit handles personal insurance products and services. Our insurance company subsidiaries supporting these operating units are American Hallmark Insurance Company of Texas (“AHIC”), Hallmark Insurance Company (“HIC”), Hallmark Specialty Insurance Company (“HSIC”), Hallmark County Mutual Insurance Company (“HCM”), Hallmark National Insurance Company (“HNIC”) and Texas Builders Insurance Company (“TBIC”). These five business units are segregated into three reportable industry segments for financial accounting purposes. The Standard Commercial Segment includes the Standard Commercial P&C business unit and the Workers Compensation business unit. The Specialty Commercial Segment includes the E&S Commercial business unit and the Hallmark Select business unit, as well as certain specialty risk programs (“Specialty Programs”) which are managed by Hallmark. The Personal Segment consists solely of the Personal Lines business unit.

General

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

1. General

Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. (“Hallmark” and, together with subsidiaries, “we,” “us” or “our”) is an insurance holding company engaged in the sale of property/casualty insurance products to businesses and individuals. Our business involves marketing, distributing, underwriting and servicing our insurance products, as well as providing other insurance related services.

We pursue our business activities through subsidiaries whose operations are organized into five business units that are supported by our insurance company subsidiaries. Our Standard Commercial P&C business unit handles commercial insurance products and services in the standard market. Our Workers Compensation business unit specializes in small and middle market workers compensation business. Our E&S Commercial business unit handles primarily commercial insurance products and services in the excess and surplus lines market. Our newly formed Hallmark Select business unit offers (i) general aviation insurance products and services, (ii) low and middle market commercial umbrella and excess liability insurance on both an admitted and non-admitted basis focusing primarily on trucking, specialty automobile and non-fleet automobile coverage, and (iii) medical professional liability insurance products and services. Our Hallmark Select business unit is the combination of our operations previously known as our General Aviation business unit, our Excess & Umbrella business unit and the medical professional liability business handled by our E&S Commercial business unit. Our Personal Lines business unit handles personal insurance products and services. Our insurance company subsidiaries supporting these operating units are American Hallmark Insurance Company of Texas (“AHIC”), Hallmark Insurance Company (“HIC”), Hallmark Specialty Insurance Company (“HSIC”), Hallmark County Mutual Insurance Company (“HCM”), Hallmark National Insurance Company (“HNIC”) and Texas Builders Insurance Company (“TBIC”).

These five business units are segregated into three reportable industry segments for financial accounting purposes. The Standard Commercial Segment includes the Standard Commercial P&C business unit and the Workers Compensation business unit. The Specialty Commercial Segment includes the E&S Commercial business unit and the Hallmark Select business unit, as well as certain specialty risk programs (“Specialty Programs”) which are managed by Hallmark. The Personal Segment consists solely of the Personal Lines business unit.