SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands				12 Months Ended
	Oct. 09, 2015 USD ($) shares	Jul. 17, 2015 USD ($) shares	May. 20, 2015 $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) multiplier component installment right $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($) $ / shares shares
Common Stock [Abstract]
Common stock, shares authorized | shares				25,413,000	25,413,000
Common stock, shares issued | shares				25,413,000	25,413,000
Common stock, shares outstanding | shares				19,021,000	20,279,000
Common Stock Voting Rights Per Share | right				1
Value of common stock paid at acquisition | $				$ 21,733	$ 0	$ 0
Equity Incentive Plan [Abstract]
Maximum number of Altisource share-based awards that can be granted under the Plan (in shares) | shares				6,700,000
Share-based awards available for future grants under the Plan (in shares) | shares				1,600,000
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Share-based compensation expense (in dollars) | $				$ 4,800	$ 2,200	$ 2,400
Estimated unrecognized compensation costs (in dollars) | $				$ 11,400
Weighted average remaining requisite service period for stock options over which unrecognized compensation costs would be recognized				2 years 7 months 24 days
Outstanding (in shares) | shares				3,163,125	2,601,892
Stock options granted, approximate (in shares) | shares				853,510	100,000	100,000
Weighted average exercise price of stock options granted (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 24.21	$ 84.61	$ 104.84
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Fair value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				13.20	26.92	32.59
Weighted average fair value of stock options granted and total intrinsic value of stock options exercised
Weighted average fair value at grant date per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 13.20	$ 26.92	$ 32.59
Intrinsic value of options exercised (in dollars) | $				$ 1,998	$ 10,250	$ 40,761
Grant date fair value of options vested during the period (in dollars) | $				$ 1,616	$ 2,641	$ 3,156
Black-Scholes
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Risk-free interest rate, minimum (as a percent)				1.50%	1.80%	1.02%
Risk-free interest rate, maximum (as a percent)				1.91%	1.91%	1.81%
Expected stock price volatility, minimum (as a percent)				55.06%	37.57%	36.35%
Expected stock price volatility, maximum (as a percent)				59.73%	45.15%	36.76%
Expected option life					6 years 3 months	6 years 3 months
Binomial
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Risk-free interest rate, minimum (as a percent)				0.02%	0.01%	0.01%
Risk-free interest rate, maximum (as a percent)				2.34%	2.49%	2.71%
Expected stock price volatility, minimum (as a percent)				55.06%	38.38%	36.40%
Expected stock price volatility, maximum (as a percent)				59.73%	45.15%	36.80%
Minimum | Black-Scholes
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Expected option life				6 years
Fair value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 10.01	$ 15.54	$ 31.33
Weighted average fair value of stock options granted and total intrinsic value of stock options exercised
Weighted average fair value at grant date per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 10.01	$ 15.54	$ 31.33
Minimum | Binomial
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Expected option life				4 years 29 days	4 years 4 months 10 days	4 years 2 months 12 days
Fair value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 9.91	$ 12.66	$ 16.12
Weighted average fair value of stock options granted and total intrinsic value of stock options exercised
Weighted average fair value at grant date per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 9.91	12.66	16.12
Maximum | Black-Scholes
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Expected option life				6 years 3 months
Fair value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 17.66	41.79	49.14
Weighted average fair value of stock options granted and total intrinsic value of stock options exercised
Weighted average fair value at grant date per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 17.66	$ 41.79	$ 49.14
Maximum | Binomial
Assumptions used to determine the fair value of options as of the grant date
Expected option life				4 years 11 months 1 day	5 years 9 months 29 days	6 years 6 months
Fair value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 18.05	$ 33.62	$ 41.72
Weighted average fair value of stock options granted and total intrinsic value of stock options exercised
Weighted average fair value at grant date per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 18.05	$ 33.62	$ 41.72
Employee and Non Employee Stock Option | Vesting Based on Service [Member]
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period				4 years
Outstanding (in shares) | shares				1,200,000
Employee and Non Employee Stock Option | Vesting Based on Service [Member] | Minimum
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Vesting period				3 years
Employee and Non Employee Stock Option | Vesting Based on Service [Member] | Maximum
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Expiration term				10 years
Employee and Non Employee Stock Option | Market-Based
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Outstanding (in shares) | shares				2,000,000
Number of components of an award | component				2
Vesting percentage for awards that vest upon achievement of certain criteria				25.00%
Cumulative vesting percentage for awards that vest in equal annual installments				75.00%
Number of equal annual installments for vesting of award | installment				3
Employee and Non Employee Stock Option | Market-Based, ordinary performance
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Market-based options subject to specified performance achievement (as a percent)				0.67
Multiplier of stock price over exercise price as a condition for the award to vest | multiplier				2
Employee and Non Employee Stock Option | Market-Based, ordinary performance | Minimum
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Percentage of compounded annual gain of stock price over exercise price required for the award to vest				20.00%
Employee and Non Employee Stock Option | Market-Based, extraordinary performance
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Market-based options subject to specified performance achievement (as a percent)				0.33
Multiplier of stock price over exercise price as a condition for the award to vest | multiplier				3
Employee and Non Employee Stock Option | Market-Based, extraordinary performance | Minimum
Share-Based Compensation [Abstract]
Percentage of compounded annual gain of stock price over exercise price required for the award to vest				25.00%
2015 Stock Repurchase Program
Stock Repurchase Plan [Abstract]
Number of shares of common stock authorized to be purchased | shares			3,000,000
Percentage of outstanding shares authorized to be repurchased			15.00%
Minimum purchase price authorized (in dollars per share) | $ / shares			$ 1.00
Maximum purchase price authorized (in dollars per share) | $ / shares			$ 500.00
Stock Repurchase Programs
Stock Repurchase Plan [Abstract]
Number of shares of common stock purchased | shares				2,100,000	2,500,000	1,200,000
Average purchase price per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 27.60	$ 103.67	$ 116.99
Remaining number of shares available for repurchase under the plan | shares				1,400,000
Capacity available to repurchase common stock under senior secured term loan (in dollars) | $				$ 360,000
RentRange, Investability and Onit Solutions [Member]
Common Stock [Abstract]
Purchase Price | $	$ 24,792
Number of shares exchanged for acquisition | shares	247,000
Value of common stock paid at acquisition | $	$ 7,300
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Payment Period	4 years
CastleLine
Common Stock [Abstract]
Purchase Price | $		$ 33,443
Number of shares exchanged for acquisition | shares		495,000
Value of common stock paid at acquisition | $		$ 14,400
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Payment Period		4 years