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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 | Mar. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015
--- | --- | ---
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | $ 53,112,752 |
Insurance Assets | 1,272,230 |
Insurance Liabilities | 4,312,757 |
Successor [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss |  | $ 56,182,335
Insurance Assets |  | 1,889,722
Insurance Liabilities |  | 4,202,322
Derivative Liabilities | (160,024) | (138,975)
Global Structured Finance [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 25,367,243 |
Insurance Assets | 895,114 |
Insurance Liabilities | 3,897,689 |
Global Structured Finance [Member] | Successor [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss |  | 27,595,753
Insurance Assets |  | 1,512,310
Insurance Liabilities |  | 3,775,023
Derivative Liabilities | (147,526) | (114,115)
Global Public Finance [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 27,745,509 |
Insurance Assets | 377,116 |
Insurance Liabilities | 415,068 |
Global Public Finance [Member] | Successor [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss |  | 28,586,582
Insurance Assets |  | 377,412
Insurance Liabilities |  | 427,299
Derivative Liabilities | (12,498) | (24,860)
Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member] | Global Structured Finance [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 973,278 |
Insurance Assets | 259 |
Insurance Liabilities | 3,565 |
Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member] | Global Structured Finance [Member] | Successor [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss |  | 980,935
Insurance Assets |  | 264
Insurance Liabilities |  | 3,639
Derivative Liabilities | (163,575) | (129,525)
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities [Member] | Global Structured Finance [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 16,584,533 |
Insurance Assets | 703,479 |
Insurance Liabilities | 3,008,132 |
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities [Member] | Global Structured Finance [Member] | Successor [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss |  | 17,081,002
Insurance Assets |  | 1,279,650
Insurance Liabilities |  | 2,680,739
Other Consumer Asset-Backed [Member] | Global Structured Finance [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 2,488,102 |
Insurance Assets | 29,493 |
Insurance Liabilities | 339,895 |
Other Consumer Asset-Backed [Member] | Global Structured Finance [Member] | Successor [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss |  | 3,853,443
Insurance Assets |  | 47,346
Insurance Liabilities |  | 535,090
Derivative Liabilities | 0 | 0
Other Commercial Asset-Backed [Member] | Global Structured Finance [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 1,991,985 |
Insurance Assets | 81,537 |
Insurance Liabilities | 73,530 |
Other Commercial Asset-Backed [Member] | Global Structured Finance [Member] | Successor [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss |  | 2,393,805
Insurance Assets |  | 104,033
Insurance Liabilities |  | 94,191
Derivative Liabilities | 0 | 0
Other [Member] | Global Structured Finance [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss | 3,329,345 |
Insurance Assets | 80,346 |
Insurance Liabilities | 472,567 |
Other [Member] | Global Structured Finance [Member] | Successor [Member] |  |
Variable Interest Entities [Line Items] |  |
Maximum Exposure To Loss |  | 3,286,568
Insurance Assets |  | 81,017
Insurance Liabilities |  | 461,364
Derivative Liabilities | $ 16,049 | $ 15,410

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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
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Namespace Prefix: | ambc_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
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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
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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
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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=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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