Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity and Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance	Common Stock [Member]		Common Stock [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance		Additional Paid-In-Capital [Member]	Additional Paid-In-Capital [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance	Retained Earnings [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment	Retained Earnings [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance	Class A Common Stock Held By Subsidiaries [Member]	Class A Common Stock Held By Subsidiaries [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance	Total Lazard Ltd Stockholders' Equity [Member]	Total Lazard Ltd Stockholders' Equity [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment	Total Lazard Ltd Stockholders' Equity [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance	Noncontrolling Interests [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests [Member] Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjusted Balance	Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests [Member]
Balance at Dec. 31, 2019	$ 681,574	$ (7,575)	$ 673,999	$ 1,128		$ 1,128		$ 41,020	$ 41,020	$ 1,193,570	$ (7,575)	$ 1,185,995	$ (293,648)	$ (293,648)	$ (332,079)	$ (332,079)	$ 609,991	$ (7,575)	$ 602,416	$ 71,583	$ 71,583
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019				112,766,091	[1]	112,766,091	[1]								8,513,493	8,513,493
Comprehensive income:
Net income (loss)	402,692									402,461							402,461			231
Other comprehensive income- net of tax	55,282												55,280				55,280			2
Amortization of share-based incentive compensation	218,449							215,122									215,122			3,327
Dividend equivalents	(7,013)							20,187		(22,457)							(2,270)			(4,743)
Class A common stock dividends	(196,598)									(196,598)							(196,598)
Purchase of Class A common stock	$ (95,227)														$ (95,227)		(95,227)
Purchase of Class A common stock (in shares)	2,912,035														2,912,035
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with share-based incentive compensation and related tax expense (benefit)	$ (71,626)							(142,195)		(74,228)					$ 144,797		(71,626)
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with share-based incentive compensation and related tax expense (benefit) (in shares)															(3,675,812)
Business acquisitions and related equity transactions:
Class A common stock issuable (including related amortization)	147							147									147
Delivery of Class A common stock								(696)							$ 696
Delivery of Class A common stock and related tax benefit (expense) (in shares)															(21,329)
Dividend equivalents								1,854		(1,854)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests, net	(2,438)																			(2,438)
LFI Consolidated Funds	19,699																			19,699
Other	2,067									2,067							2,067
Balance at Dec. 31, 2020	999,433			$ 1,128				135,439		1,295,386			(238,368)		$ (281,813)		911,772			87,661
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020				112,766,091	[1]										7,728,387
Comprehensive income:
Net income (loss)	546,210									528,064							528,064			18,146		$ (3,665)
Other comprehensive income- net of tax	14,521												14,521				14,521
Amortization of share-based incentive compensation	233,958							224,692									224,692			9,266
Dividend equivalents	(8,359)							17,472		(18,907)							(1,435)			(6,924)
Class A common stock dividends	(195,944)									(195,944)							(195,944)
Purchase of Class A common stock	$ (406,149)														$ (406,149)		(406,149)
Purchase of Class A common stock (in shares)	9,124,295														9,124,295
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with share-based incentive compensation and related tax expense (benefit)	$ (69,552)							(166,301)		(47,902)					$ 144,651		(69,552)
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with share-based incentive compensation and related tax expense (benefit) (in shares)															(3,788,494)
Business acquisitions and related equity transactions:
Delivery of Class A common stock								(35,885)							$ 35,885
Delivery of Class A common stock and related tax benefit (expense) (in shares)															(1,018,048)
Dividend equivalents								61		(61)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests, net	(11,064)																			(11,064)
LFI Consolidated Funds	18,832																			18,832
Contribution from redeemable noncontrolling interest, net																						534,746
Change in redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interests	(43,919)							(30,749)									(30,749)			(13,170)		43,919
Other	(3)																			(3)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2021	1,077,964			$ 1,128				144,729		1,560,636			(223,847)		$ (507,426)		975,220			102,744		575,000
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2021				112,766,091	[1]										12,046,140
Comprehensive income:
Net income (loss)	378,471									357,517							357,517			20,954		14,012
Other comprehensive income- net of tax	(72,007)												(72,007)				(72,007)
Amortization of share-based incentive compensation	240,641							227,177									227,177			13,464
Dividend equivalents	(10,872)							18,026		(19,001)							(975)			(9,897)
Class A common stock dividends	(181,880)									(181,880)							(181,880)
Purchase of Class A common stock	$ (691,705)														$ (691,705)		(691,705)
Purchase of Class A common stock (in shares)	19,666,798														19,666,798
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with share-based incentive compensation and related tax expense (benefit)	$ (55,477)							(224,383)		(40,559)					$ 205,957		(58,985)			3,508
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with share-based incentive compensation and related tax expense (benefit) (in shares)															4,906,386
Business acquisitions and related equity transactions:
Distributions to noncontrolling interests, net	(31,537)																			(31,537)
LFI Consolidated Funds	18,279																			18,279
Change in redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interests	5,541							3,879									3,879			1,662		(5,541)
Other	(2,019)							(1,538)							$ (240)		(1,778)			(241)
Other (in shares)															7,661
Balance at Dec. 31, 2022	$ 675,399			$ 1,128				$ 167,890		$ 1,676,713			$ (295,854)		$ (993,414)		$ 556,463			$ 118,936		$ 583,471
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2022				112,766,091	[1]										26,814,213

[1] Includes 112,766,091 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock issued at December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020.