Commitments and Contingencies (Details)											1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		4 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Jan. 29, 2020	Jan. 27, 2020 USD ($) shares	Dec. 10, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 04, 2019 USD ($) contract	Nov. 12, 2019 USD ($)	May 22, 2019 USD ($) contract claim	May 11, 2019 USD ($)	Oct. 01, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 13, 2018 USD ($)	Jul. 29, 2013 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Oct. 14, 2020 numberOfRestructuringAgreements	Dec. 11, 2019	Dec. 01, 2019 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2019 USD ($)		Jul. 28, 2017	Apr. 18, 2017	Jan. 12, 2017 appeal	Apr. 18, 2013 policy
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Lease expiration date															Sep. 30, 2020
Annual base rent															$ 268,000
Percentage of annual increase of base rent															3.00%
Operating lease assets												$ 22,000			$ 22,000
Operating lease expense												107,000			352,000
Rent expense under operating lease													$ 104,000			$ 332,000
Sublease annual base rent							$ 89,000	$ 78,000
Sublease income												29,000			119,000
Sublease rental income													$ 41,000			$ 117,000
Life settlement receivable												$ 0			$ 0					$ 1,297,000	[1]
Investment in life settlements fair value																				$ 1,297,000
Proceeds from maturity of life settlements				$ 12,700,000
8.5% Senior Secured Notes
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt interest rate												8.50%	8.50%		8.50%	8.50%				8.50%	[1]	8.50%
5.0% Convertible Notes
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt interest rate												5.00%	5.00%		5.00%	5.00%				5.00%	[1]		5.00%
Secured Notes | 8.5% Senior Secured Notes
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt interest rate																						8.50%
Convertible Notes | 5.0% Convertible Notes
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt interest rate																		5.00%
Subsequent Event
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Monthly base rent														$ 700
Number of restructuring support agreements | numberOfRestructuringAgreements																	2
Subsequent Event | Secured Notes | 8.5% Senior Secured Notes
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt interest rate																	8.50%
Subsequent Event | Convertible Notes | 5.0% Convertible Notes
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt interest rate																	5.00%
Pending Litigation
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Life insurance, policies issued | policy																									28
Compensatory damages sought in addition to an award of punitive damages										$ 30,000,000.0
Loss contingency, number of appeals | appeal																								2
Lincoln Benefit Life Settlement | Settled Litigation
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation settlement received						$ 21,300,000
V.P. Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Severance annual salary									$ 250,000
Severance period									6 months
Employee agreement term									1 year
Employee agreement extension period									1 year
Period to give written notice to terminate employment									60 days
V.P. Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel | Mr. Werblowsky Severance Agreement
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Severance annual salary					$ 500,000
Retention percentage payable upon employee entering into agreement					66.00%
Retention percentage payable upon consummation of restructuring					33.00%
V.P. Chief Investment Officer
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Severance annual salary									$ 275,000
Severance period									6 months
Employee agreement term									1 year
Employee agreement extension period									1 year
Period to give written notice to terminate employment									60 days
V.P. Chief Investment Officer | Mr. Simony Severance Agreement
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Severance annual salary					$ 1,000,000.0
Period covered by COBRA health insurance under employment agreement					12 months
Retention percentage payable upon employee entering into agreement	66.00%				66.00%
Retention percentage payable upon consummation of restructuring	33.00%				33.00%
Period after consummation of restructuring					3 days
Period after the amendment date	7 days
V.P. Chief Investment Officer | Mr. Werblowsky Severance Agreement
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Period covered by COBRA health insurance under employment agreement					12 months
Period after consummation of restructuring					3 days
Cheif Financial Officer
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Severance annual salary												$ 352,229			$ 352,229
Severance period															12 months
Change in control period															2 years
Base salary multiplier															200.00%
Cheif Financial Officer | Ms. Martinez Severance Agreement
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Severance annual salary			$ 700,000
Period covered by COBRA health insurance under employment agreement			18 months
Retention percentage payable upon employee entering into agreement			66.00%
Retention percentage payable upon consummation of restructuring			33.00%
Period after consummation of restructuring			3 days
Chief Executive Officer | Mr. Curry Bonus
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Period after consummation of restructuring		30 days
Period after approval of restructuring		45 days
White Eagle
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of life insurance policies canceled | contract				2
Proceeds from maturity of life settlements				$ 2,000,000.0
White Eagle | Lincoln Benefit Life Settlement | Settled Litigation
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of policies owned | contract						55
White Eagle | Allstate Life Insurance Company Settlement | Settled Litigation
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation settlement paid						$ 2,000,000.0
Number of separate legal actions | claim						6
Life settlement receivable						$ 39,100,000
Receivable for maturity of life settlement write off											$ 17,800,000
Proceeds from legal settlement											$ 2,000,000.0
Sun Life
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of life insurance policies canceled | contract				31
Investment in life settlements fair value				$ 163,500,000
Proceeds from maturity of life settlements				$ 36,100,000
Sun Life | Emergent Capital, Inc.
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of life insurance policies canceled | contract				2
Investment in life settlements fair value				$ 12,000,000.0
Proceeds from maturity of life settlements				12,700,000
Sun Life | Wilmington Trust
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Payments for maturity of life insurance policies				$ 10,000,000.0
Sun Life | White Eagle
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of policies owned | contract				28
Investment in life settlements fair value				$ 141,500,000
Number of life insurance policies in receivable for maturity | contract				1
Receivable for maturity of life insurance policies				$ 10,000,000.0
Payments for maturity of life insurance policies				$ 13,400,000
Payable after the grant | Chief Executive Officer | Mr. Curry Bonus
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Bonus payable in cash		$ 400,000
Payable upon consummation of Restructuring | Chief Executive Officer | Mr. Curry Bonus
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Bonus payable in cash		300,000
Payable if the Company effects the Restructuring | Chief Executive Officer | Mr. Curry Bonus
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Bonus payable in cash		300,000
Payable under the approved Restructuring budget (at least) | Chief Executive Officer | Mr. Curry Bonus
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Bonus payable in cash		$ 600,000
Restricted Stock | Chief Executive Officer | Mr. Curry Bonus
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Bonus stock awards reserved for issuance (in shares) | shares		1,000,000
Restricted Stock | First anniversary of the grant date | Chief Executive Officer | Mr. Curry Bonus
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Bonus awards vesting percentage		33.33%
Restricted Stock | Second anniversary of the grant date | Chief Executive Officer | Mr. Curry Bonus
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Bonus awards vesting percentage		33.33%
Restricted Stock | Third anniversary of the grant date | Chief Executive Officer | Mr. Curry Bonus
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Bonus awards vesting percentage		33.33%
ASU 2016-02
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Operating lease liability																			$ 203,000
Operating lease assets																			$ 179,000

[1] Derived from audited consolidated financial statements.