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Special Purpose Entities, Including Variable Interest Entities - Summary of Carrying Amount of Assets, Liabilities and Maximum Exposure to Loss of Ambac's Variable Interests in Non-Consolidated Variable Interest Entities (Detail) (Variable Interest Entity [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified | Sep. 30, 2013 Successor Ambac [Member] | Dec. 31, 2012 Predecessor Ambac [Member] | Sep. 30, 2013 Global Structured Finance [Member] Successor Ambac [Member] | Dec. 31, 2012 Global Structured Finance [Member] Predecessor Ambac [Member] | Sep. 30, 2013 Global Public Finance [Member] Successor Ambac [Member] | Dec. 31, 2012 Global Public Finance [Member] Predecessor Ambac [Member] | Sep. 30, 2013 Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member] Global Structured Finance [Member] Successor Ambac [Member] | Dec. 31, 2012 Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member] Global Structured Finance [Member] Predecessor Ambac [Member] | Sep. 30, 2013 Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities [Member] Global Structured Finance [Member] Successor Ambac [Member] | Dec. 31, 2012 Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities [Member] Global Structured Finance [Member] Predecessor Ambac [Member] | Sep. 30, 2013 Other Consumer Asset-Backed [Member] Global Structured Finance [Member] Successor Ambac [Member] | Dec. 31, 2012 Other Consumer Asset-Backed [Member] Global Structured Finance [Member] Predecessor Ambac [Member] | Sep. 30, 2013 Other Commercial Asset-Backed [Member] Global Structured Finance [Member] Successor Ambac [Member] | Dec. 31, 2012 Other Commercial Asset-Backed [Member] Global Structured Finance [Member] Predecessor Ambac [Member] | Sep. 30, 2013 Other [Member] Global Structured Finance [Member] Successor Ambac [Member] | Dec. 31, 2012 Other [Member] Global Structured Finance [Member] Predecessor Ambac [Member] | Dec. 31, 2012 Mortgage-Backed-Commercial [Member] Global Structured Finance [Member] Predecessor Ambac [Member]
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Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | $ 77,171,746 | $ 93,517,995 | $ 41,303,781 | $ 56,421,767 | $ 35,867,965 | $ 37,096,228 | $ 3,868,207 | $ 10,176,522 | $ 19,777,790 | $ 24,008,616 | $ 5,508,153 | $ 5,895,377 | $ 7,717,747 | $ 10,192,858 | $ 4,431,884 | $ 5,505,007 | $ 643,387
Insurance Assets | 1,692,484 | 1,840,265 | 1,173,272 | 1,298,086 | 519,212 | 542,179 | 4,955 | 9,673 | 580,630 | 603,867 | 72,534 | 101,494 | 401,277 | 451,048 | 113,876 | 132,004 |
Insurance Liabilities | 6,616,639 | 7,463,635 | 6,020,293 | 6,830,277 | 596,346 | 633,358 | 8,263 | 13,328 | 3,924,594 | 3,969,336 | 959,853 | 1,042,522 | 527,750 | 1,215,074 | 599,833 | 590,017 |
Derivative Liabilities | $ 186,989 | $ 201,434 | $ 159,415 | $ 172,771 | $ 27,574 | $ 28,663 | $ 100,506 | $ 113,057 |  |  | $ 44,742 | $ 45,610 | $ 9,860 | $ 7,293 | $ 4,307 | $ 4,393 | $ 2,418

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- Definition The net carrying amount of derivative assets or liabilities in the reporting entity's statement of financial position that relate to the entity's variable interests in Variable Interest Entities (VIEs) where the VIEs are not consolidated. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ambc_VariableInterestEntityNonconsolidatedCarryingAmountDerivativeNetAssetsOrLiabilities
Namespace Prefix: | ambc_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

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- Definition The carrying amount of insurance assets in the reporting entity's statement of financial position that relate to the entity's variable interests in Variable Interest Entities (VIEs) where the VIEs are not consolidated. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ambc_VariableInterestEntityNonconsolidatedCarryingAmountInsuranceAssets
Namespace Prefix: | ambc_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

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- Definition The carrying amount of insurance liabilities in the reporting entity's statement of financial position that relate to the entity's variable interests in Variable Interest Entities (VIEs) where the VIEs are not consolidated. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ambc_VariableInterestEntityNonconsolidatedCarryingAmountInsuranceLiabilities
Namespace Prefix: | ambc_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

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- Definition The reporting entity's maximum amount of exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with the Variable Interest Entity (VIE). + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph b -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=d3e5728-111685 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=d3e5747-111685 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityEntityMaximumLossExposureAmount
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

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- Details
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Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration