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Financial Guarantee Insurance Contracts - Estimated Future Amortization Expense for Insurance Intangible Asset (Detail) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Amortization Of Intangible Assets [Line Items]      
Intangible Assets, Gross (Excluding Goodwill) $ 1,631,068us-gaap_IntangibleAssetsGrossExcludingGoodwill   $ 1,660,125us-gaap_IntangibleAssetsGrossExcludingGoodwill
Accumulated amortization on insurance intangible asset 283,773ambc_AccumulatedAmortizationOnIntangibleAsset   249,205ambc_AccumulatedAmortizationOnIntangibleAsset
2015 90,801us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseRemainderOfFiscalYear    
2016 107,443us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearTwo    
2017 97,726us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearThree    
2018 90,095us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearFour    
2019 83,380us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearFive    
Thereafter 877,850us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseAfterYearFive    
Successor [Member]      
Amortization Of Intangible Assets [Line Items]      
Amortization of insurance intangible assets 37,432us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
31,714us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
 
Successor [Member] | Insurance Asset [Member]      
Amortization Of Intangible Assets [Line Items]      
Amortization of insurance intangible assets $ 37,432us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= ambc_InsuranceAssetMember
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember
$ 31,714us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= ambc_InsuranceAssetMember
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_SuccessorMember