Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Total	Common Stock [Member]		Additional Paid-In-Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Member]	Class A Common Stock Held By Subsidiaries [Member]	Total Lazard Ltd Stockholders' Equity [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests [Member]	Series A Preferred Stock [Member]
Balance at Dec. 31, 2013		$ 629,998	$ 1,291		$ 737,899	$ 203,236	$ (133,004)	$ (249,213)	$ 560,209	$ 69,789
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013			129,056,082	[1]				8,317,065			7,921
Comprehensive income (loss):
NET INCOME		434,063				427,277			427,277	6,786
Other comprehensive loss - net of tax		(67,205)					(67,204)		(67,204)	(1)
Amortization of share-based incentive compensation		206,195			206,195				206,195
Dividend-equivalents		(2,081)			17,536	(19,617)			(2,081)
Class A common stock dividends		(146,241)				(146,241)			(146,241)
Purchase of Class A common stock		$ (192,657)						$ (192,657)	(192,657)
Purchase of Class A common stock (in shares)		4,114,206						4,114,206
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with share-based incentive compensation and related tax benefit		$ (80,659)			(258,798)			$ 178,139	(80,659)
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with shared-based incentive compensation and related tax benefit (in shares)								(4,923,252)
Class A common stock issued in exchange for Lazard Group common membership interests			$ 7		(7)
Class A common stock issued in exchange for Lazard Group common membership interests (in shares)	[1]		710,009
Business acquisitions and related equity transactions:
Class A common stock issuable (including related amortization)		570			570				570
Delivery of Class A common stock and related tax benefit					(2,488)			$ 2,488
Delivery of Class A common stock and related tax benefit (in shares)								(57,274)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests, net		(11,926)								(11,926)
Adjustments relating to noncontrolling interests					1,893		(558)		1,335	(1,335)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2014		770,057	$ 1,298		702,800	464,655	(200,766)	$ (261,243)	706,744	63,313
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014			129,766,091	[1]				7,450,745			7,921
Comprehensive income (loss):
NET INCOME		992,932				986,373			986,373	6,559
Other comprehensive loss - net of tax		(33,590)					(33,590)		(33,590)
Amortization of share-based incentive compensation		226,723			226,723				226,723
Dividend-equivalents		(2,361)			34,255	(36,616)			(2,361)
Class A common stock dividends		(290,684)				(290,684)			(290,684)
Purchase of Class A common stock		$ (172,772)						$ (172,772)	(172,772)
Purchase of Class A common stock (in shares)		3,438,789						3,438,789
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with share-based incentive compensation and related tax benefit		$ (106,978)			(362,417)			$ 255,439	(106,978)
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with shared-based incentive compensation and related tax benefit (in shares)								(6,608,837)
Business acquisitions and related equity transactions:
Delivery of Class A common stock and related tax benefit					(1,327)			$ 1,327
Delivery of Class A common stock and related tax benefit (in shares)								(27,316)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests, net		(16,021)								(16,021)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2015		1,367,306	$ 1,298		600,034	1,123,728	(234,356)	$ (177,249)	1,313,455	53,851
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015			129,766,091	[1]				4,253,381			7,921
Comprehensive income (loss):
NET INCOME		393,692				387,698			387,698	5,994
Other comprehensive loss - net of tax		(79,867)					(79,866)		(79,866)	(1)
Settlement of Series A preferred stock (in shares)											(7,921)
Amortization of share-based incentive compensation		261,462			261,462				261,462
Dividend-equivalents		(3,818)			37,284	(41,102)			(3,818)
Class A common stock dividends		(336,138)				(336,138)			(336,138)
Purchase of Class A common stock		$ (300,217)						$ (300,217)	(300,217)
Purchase of Class A common stock (in shares)		8,551,271						8,551,271
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with share-based incentive compensation and related tax benefit		$ (55,630)			(224,201)			$ 168,571	(55,630)
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with shared-based incentive compensation and related tax benefit (in shares)								(4,235,455)
Business acquisitions and related equity transactions:
Class A common stock issuable (including related amortization)		37,861			37,861				37,861
Delivery of Class A common stock and related tax benefit		1,621			(33,768)			$ 35,389	1,621
Delivery of Class A common stock and related tax benefit (in shares)								(940,411)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests, net		(2,018)								(2,018)
Other		9,559			9,559				9,559
Balance at Dec. 31, 2016		$ 1,293,813	$ 1,298		$ 688,231	$ 1,134,186	$ (314,222)	$ (273,506)	$ 1,235,987	$ 57,826
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016			129,766,091	[1]				7,628,786

[1] Includes 129,766,091 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock issued at December 31, 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively.