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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] - Successor [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items]
Maximum Exposure To Loss	$ 59,454,974
Insurance Assets	1,712,622
Insurance Liabilities	4,467,192
Derivative Liabilities	(145,623)
Global Structured Finance [Member]
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items]
Maximum Exposure To Loss	28,991,240
Insurance Assets	1,284,905
Insurance Liabilities	3,983,686
Derivative Liabilities	(124,202)
Global Public Finance [Member]
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items]
Maximum Exposure To Loss	30,463,734	$ 31,639,004
Insurance Assets	427,717	457,774
Insurance Liabilities	483,506	533,192
Derivative Liabilities	(21,421)	(22,135)
Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member] | Global Structured Finance [Member]
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items]
Maximum Exposure To Loss	1,041,843	1,386,100
Insurance Assets	271	345
Insurance Liabilities	3,716	4,000
Derivative Liabilities	(139,859)	(145,565)
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities [Member] | Global Structured Finance [Member]
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items]
Maximum Exposure To Loss	17,722,719	19,464,549
Insurance Assets	1,034,921	1,011,888
Insurance Liabilities	2,740,222	2,924,987
Other Consumer Asset-Backed [Member] | Global Structured Finance [Member]
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items]
Maximum Exposure To Loss	4,321,282	5,109,776
Insurance Assets	51,802	65,204
Insurance Liabilities	648,958	885,572
Derivative Liabilities	(349)	(36,877)
Other Commercial Asset-Backed [Member] | Global Structured Finance [Member]
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items]
Maximum Exposure To Loss	2,597,067	3,119,891
Insurance Assets	115,751	135,215
Insurance Liabilities	105,826	128,988
Derivative Liabilities	0	0
Other [Member] | Global Structured Finance [Member]
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items]
Maximum Exposure To Loss	3,308,329	3,801,382
Insurance Assets	82,160	97,345
Insurance Liabilities	484,964	599,915
Derivative Liabilities	$ 16,006	$ 18,176

X

- 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

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Namespace Prefix:	ambc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

X

- 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

X

- 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

X

- 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=52262685&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=52262685&loc=d3e5747-111685

+ Details

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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