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Derivative Instruments - Summary of Location and Amount of Gains and Losses of Derivative Contracts (Detail) (Successor [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2015 | Mar. 31, 2014
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items] |  |
Derivative instruments, gain (loss) recognized in income, net, Total | $ 34,177 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet | $ (118,843)us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet
Net Change in Fair Value of Credit Derivatives [Member] | Credit Derivatives [Member] | Financial Guarantee [Member] |  |
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items] |  |
Derivative instruments, gain (loss) recognized in income, net, Total | (2,499)us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis = us-gaap_FinancialGuaranteeMember / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = ambc_CreditDerivativesMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = ambc_NetChangeInFairValueOfCreditDerivativesMember / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_SuccessorMember | 7,382 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis = us-gaap_FinancialGuaranteeMember / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = ambc_CreditDerivativesMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = ambc_NetChangeInFairValueOfCreditDerivativesMember / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_SuccessorMember
Derivative Products [Member] | Financial Services Derivatives Products [Member] |  |
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items] |  |
Derivative instruments, gain (loss) recognized in income, net, Total | (37,774)us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis = ambc_FinancialServicesDerivativesProductsMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = ambc_DerivativeProductsMember / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_SuccessorMember | (53,841)us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis = ambc_FinancialServicesDerivativesProductsMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = ambc_DerivativeProductsMember / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_SuccessorMember
Derivative Products [Member] | Interest Rate Swaps [Member] | Financial Services Derivatives Products [Member] |  |
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items] |  |
Derivative instruments, gain (loss) recognized in income, net, Total | (35,547)us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis = ambc_FinancialServicesDerivativesProductsMember / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_InterestRateSwapMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = ambc_DerivativeProductsMember / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_SuccessorMember | (51,849)us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis = ambc_FinancialServicesDerivativesProductsMember / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_InterestRateSwapMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = ambc_DerivativeProductsMember / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_SuccessorMember
Derivative Products [Member] | Futures Contracts [Member] | Financial Services Derivatives Products [Member] |  |
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items] |  |
Derivative instruments, gain (loss) recognized in income, net, Total | (2,227)us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis = ambc_FinancialServicesDerivativesProductsMember / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_FutureMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = ambc_DerivativeProductsMember / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_SuccessorMember | (1,992)us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeByNatureAxis = ambc_FinancialServicesDerivativesProductsMember / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_FutureMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = ambc_DerivativeProductsMember / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_SuccessorMember
Income Loss On Variable Interest Entities [Member] | Variable Interest Entity [Member] |  |
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items] |  |
Derivative instruments, gain (loss) recognized in income, net, Total | 74,450 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = ambc_IncomeLossOnVariableInterestEntitiesMember / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_SuccessorMember / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember | (72,384)us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = ambc_IncomeLossOnVariableInterestEntitiesMember / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_SuccessorMember / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
Income Loss On Variable Interest Entities [Member] | Interest Rate Swaps [Member] | Variable Interest Entity [Member] |  |
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items] |  |
Derivative instruments, gain (loss) recognized in income, net, Total | 52,186 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_InterestRateSwapMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = ambc_IncomeLossOnVariableInterestEntitiesMember / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_SuccessorMember / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember | (77,792)us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_InterestRateSwapMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = ambc_IncomeLossOnVariableInterestEntitiesMember / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_SuccessorMember / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember
Income Loss On Variable Interest Entities [Member] | Currency Swaps [Member] | Variable Interest Entity [Member] |  |
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items] |  |
Derivative instruments, gain (loss) recognized in income, net, Total | $ 22,264 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_CurrencySwapMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = ambc_IncomeLossOnVariableInterestEntitiesMember / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_SuccessorMember / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember | $ 5,408 us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet / us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis = us-gaap_CurrencySwapMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis = ambc_IncomeLossOnVariableInterestEntitiesMember / us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis = us-gaap_SuccessorMember / us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis = us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityPrimaryBeneficiaryMember

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- Definition Amount of increase (decrease) in the fair value of derivatives recognized in the income statement. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4A -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35706170&loc=SL5618551-113959 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4C -Subparagraph (a),(c),(d),(e) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35706170&loc=SL5624171-113959 + Details
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