Acquisition (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 23, 2013	Oct. 15, 2013	Jun. 03, 2011
Business Acquisition, Share Price						$ 13.25
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred				$ 1,500,000,000
business combination, debt assumed						331,500,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Assets, Receivables						11,892,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Assets, Prepaid Expense and Other Assets						186,871,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Cemetery property						303,775,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Property, Plant, and Equipment						340,697,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Preneed funeral and cemetery receivables and trust investments						648,482,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles						71,938,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets						79,400,000
Business combination, assets to be divested						524,293,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Other Noncurrent Assets						265,098,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Assets						2,978,289,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Liabilities						218,920,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Noncurrent Liabilities, Long-term Debt						270,668,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery revenues and deferred receipts held in trusts						734,765,000
Business combination, liabilities held for sale						243,955,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Liabilities Noncurrent						56,946,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Noncurrent Liabilities, Other						287,562,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Liabilities						1,812,816,000
Business combination, noncontrolling interest						118,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net						1,165,355,000
Change in estimated valued of acquired cemetery property		(13,774,000)
Change in estimated valued of acquired property and equipment, net		19,000,000
Change in estimated value of preneed funeral and cemetery receivables and trust investments		(6,528,000)
Change in estimated valued of acquired finite lived intangible assets		(34,340,000)
Change in estimated valued of assets held for sale		90,045,000
Change in value of deferred charges and other assets		(13,222,000)
Change in the estimated fair value of acquired deferred preneed funeral and cemetery revenues and deferred receipts held in trust		48,093,000
Change in value of acquired assets and liabilities held for sale		(90,318,000)
Change in estimated value of deferred income taxes		43,223,000
Other changes in the estimated fair value of acquired assets and liabilities, net		(9,444,000)
Total adjustment to the estimated amount of goodwill in a business combination		32,735,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired, Goodwill, and Liabilities Assumed, Net						545,843,000
Business Acquisition, Goodwill, Expected Tax Deductible Amount		2,300,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill		151,338,000
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Revenue	697,723,000		2,166,050,000
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Net Income (Loss)	25,691,000		126,241,000
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired					10.00%		20.00%	70.00%
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Including Subsequent Acquisition, Percentage							90.00%
Stewart
Finite-Lived Customer Relationships, Gross		28,500,000
Finite-Lived Customer Lists, Gross		16,764,000
Finite-Lived Contractual Rights, Gross		5,900,000
Finite-Lived Noncompete Agreements, Gross		5,480,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Off-market Lease, Favorable, Gross		6,144,000
Finite-Lived Trade Names, Gross		9,150,000
Indefinite-Lived Trade Names		77,900,000
Indefinite-Lived License Agreements		1,500,000
Funeral | Stewart
Goodwill, Acquired During Period		300,200,000
Cemetery | Stewart
Goodwill, Acquired During Period		$ 245,600,000
Customer Relationships | Minimum | Stewart
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life		10 years
Customer Relationships | Maximum | Stewart
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life		20 years
Customer Lists | Minimum | Stewart
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life		10 years
Customer Lists | Maximum | Stewart
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life		14 years
Licensing Agreements | Minimum | Stewart
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life		20 years
Licensing Agreements | Maximum | Stewart
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life		40 years
Noncompete Agreements | Minimum | Stewart
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life		5 years
Noncompete Agreements | Maximum | Stewart
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life		15 years
Leases, Acquired-in-Place, Market Adjustment | Minimum | Stewart
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life		26 years
Leases, Acquired-in-Place, Market Adjustment | Maximum | Stewart
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life		34 years
Trade Names | Minimum | Stewart
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life		5 years
Trade Names | Maximum | Stewart
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life		5 years