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Income Taxes Income Taxes - Effective Tax Rates Differing From Prevailing Federal Corporate Income Tax Rates (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
8 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 4 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Rate
Dec. 31, 2013
Rate
Apr. 30, 2013
Rate
Dec. 31, 2012
Rate
Successor [Member]          
Reconciliation of Effective Tax Rates [Line Items]          
Tax on income from continuing operations at statutory rate $ 179,311us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
$ 172,639us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
     
Tax on income from continuing operations at statutory rate,tax rate   35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
   
Reorganization Income 0ambc_IncomeTaxReconciliationReorganizationIncome
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= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
0ambc_IncomeTaxReconciliationReorganizationIncome
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
     
Reorganization Income, tax rate   0.00%ambc_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationReorganizationIncome
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= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
0.00%ambc_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationReorganizationIncome
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Tax bankruptcy adjustments 0ambc_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxBankruptcyAdjustments
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= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
0ambc_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxBankruptcyAdjustments
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
     
Tax bankruptcy adjustments, tax rate   0.00%ambc_EffectiveincomeTaxReconciliationTaxBankruptcyAdjustments
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
0.00%ambc_EffectiveincomeTaxReconciliationTaxBankruptcyAdjustments
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
   
IRS settlement 0us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxSettlements
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
0us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxSettlements
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
     
IRS settlement, tax rate   0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxSettlements
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxSettlements
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
   
Tax-exempt interest (11,988)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxExemptIncome
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
(6,811)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxExemptIncome
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
     
Tax-exempt interest, tax rate   (1.40%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxExemptIncome
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
(2.30%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxExemptIncome
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
   
Valuation allowance (160,064)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
(159,661)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
     
Valuation allowance, tax rate   (32.40%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
(31.20%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
   
Foreign taxes 0us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxContingenciesForeign
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
3,472us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxContingenciesForeign
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
     
Foreign taxes, tax rate   0.70%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxContingenciesForeign
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxContingenciesForeign
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
   
Other, net 255us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
(82)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
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Other, net, tax rate   0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
   
Provision for income taxes 7,514us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
9,557us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
     
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Percent   1.90%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
1.50%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
   
Predecessor [Member]          
Reconciliation of Effective Tax Rates [Line Items]          
Tax on income from continuing operations at statutory rate       1,171,812us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_PredecessorMember
(89,777)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
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= us-gaap_PredecessorMember
Tax on income from continuing operations at statutory rate,tax rate       35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_PredecessorMember
35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_PredecessorMember
Reorganization Income       (712,581)ambc_IncomeTaxReconciliationReorganizationIncome
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= us-gaap_PredecessorMember
0ambc_IncomeTaxReconciliationReorganizationIncome
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Reorganization Income, tax rate       (21.30%)ambc_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationReorganizationIncome
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= us-gaap_PredecessorMember
0.00%ambc_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationReorganizationIncome
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= us-gaap_PredecessorMember
Tax bankruptcy adjustments       285,734ambc_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxBankruptcyAdjustments
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0ambc_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxBankruptcyAdjustments
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Tax bankruptcy adjustments, tax rate       8.50%ambc_EffectiveincomeTaxReconciliationTaxBankruptcyAdjustments
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0.00%ambc_EffectiveincomeTaxReconciliationTaxBankruptcyAdjustments
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IRS settlement       370,996us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxSettlements
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0us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxSettlements
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IRS settlement, tax rate       11.10%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxSettlements
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0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxSettlements
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Tax-exempt interest       (4,996)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxExemptIncome
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(17,795)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxExemptIncome
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Tax-exempt interest, tax rate       (0.10%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxExemptIncome
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6.90%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxExemptIncome
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_PredecessorMember
Valuation allowance       (1,110,230)us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
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= us-gaap_PredecessorMember
107,502us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
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Valuation allowance, tax rate       (33.20%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_PredecessorMember
(41.90%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_PredecessorMember
Foreign taxes       0us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxContingenciesForeign
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0us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationTaxContingenciesForeign
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
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Foreign taxes, tax rate       0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxContingenciesForeign
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
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0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxContingenciesForeign
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Other, net       20us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments
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2,919us-gaap_IncomeTaxReconciliationOtherAdjustments
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Other, net, tax rate       0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments
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(1.10%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments
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Provision for income taxes       $ 755us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
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= us-gaap_PredecessorMember
$ 2,849us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
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Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Percent       0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
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(1.10%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
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