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Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Apr. 30, 2013
Lease Obligations        
Net rent expense $ 16,800,000us-gaap_OperatingLeasesRentExpenseNet $ 15,600,000us-gaap_OperatingLeasesRentExpenseNet $ 14,300,000us-gaap_OperatingLeasesRentExpenseNet  
Future minimum annual lease and service payments        
Sublease income related to operating leases 1,800,000us-gaap_OperatingLeasesRentExpenseSubleaseRentals1 1,500,000us-gaap_OperatingLeasesRentExpenseSubleaseRentals1 1,200,000us-gaap_OperatingLeasesRentExpenseSubleaseRentals1  
Affiliated Entity        
Future minimum annual lease and service payments        
Other commitments, unfunded amount 12,400,000cown_Othercommitmentsunfundedamount
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_AffiliatedEntityMember		      
Affiliated Entity | Healthcare Royalty Partners        
Future minimum annual lease and service payments        
Contractual obligation 45,400,000us-gaap_OtherCommitment
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= cown_HealthcareRoyaltyPartnersMember
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_AffiliatedEntityMember		      
Funding toward commitments 35,100,000cown_OtherCommitmentsAmountFunded
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= cown_HealthcareRoyaltyPartnersMember
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_AffiliatedEntityMember		      
Affiliated Entity | Healthcare Royalty Partners | Minimum        
Future minimum annual lease and service payments        
Expected call period 2 years      
Affiliated Entity | Healthcare Royalty Partners | Maximum        
Future minimum annual lease and service payments        
Expected call period 5 years      
Affiliated Entity | Starboard Leaders Fund LP        
Future minimum annual lease and service payments        
Funding toward commitments 900,000cown_OtherCommitmentsAmountFunded
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= cown_StarboardLeadersFundLPMember
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_AffiliatedEntityMember		      
Affiliated Entity | Formation 8 Partners Fund I LP        
Future minimum annual lease and service payments        
Other commitments, unfunded amount 2,700,000cown_Othercommitmentsunfundedamount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= cown_Formation8PartnersFundIMember
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_AffiliatedEntityMember		      
Clawback Obligation        
Future minimum annual lease and service payments        
Contractual obligation 6,200,000us-gaap_OtherCommitment
/ us-gaap_OtherCommitmentsAxis
= cown_ClawbackObligationMember		 6,200,000us-gaap_OtherCommitment
/ us-gaap_OtherCommitmentsAxis
= cown_ClawbackObligationMember		    
Commitment to Invest | Affiliated Entity | Starboard Leaders Fund LP        
Future minimum annual lease and service payments        
Contractual obligation       1,000,000us-gaap_OtherCommitment
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= cown_StarboardLeadersFundLPMember
/ us-gaap_OtherCommitmentsAxis
= cown_CommitmentToInvestMember
/ us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis
= us-gaap_AffiliatedEntityMember
Commitment to Invest | Affiliated Entity | Formation 8 Partners Fund I LP        
Future minimum annual lease and service payments        
Term of capital commitment 4 years      
Unfunded Commitments        
Future minimum annual lease and service payments        
Number of real estate investments, in investments 4cown_NumberOfRealEstateInvestments
/ us-gaap_OtherCommitmentsAxis
= cown_UnfundedCommitmentsMember		      
RCG Longview Partners II, LLC | Clawback Obligation        
Future minimum annual lease and service payments        
Contractual obligation 6,200,000us-gaap_OtherCommitment
/ us-gaap_OtherCommitmentsAxis
= cown_ClawbackObligationMember
/ us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis
= cown_RcgLongviewPartnersIiLlcMember		      
Equipment Leases        
Future minimum annual lease and service payments        
2015 2,603,000us-gaap_ContractualObligationFutureMinimumPaymentsDueRemainderOfFiscalYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_EquipmentLeasesMember		 [1]      
2016 2,284,000us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInSecondYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_EquipmentLeasesMember		 [1]      
2017 2,198,000us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInThirdYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_EquipmentLeasesMember		 [1]      
2018 2,198,000us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInFourthYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_EquipmentLeasesMember		 [1]      
2019 813,000us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInFifthYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_EquipmentLeasesMember		 [1]      
Thereafter 0us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueAfterFifthYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_EquipmentLeasesMember		 [1]      
Future minimum annual lease and service payments 10,096,000us-gaap_ContractualObligation
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_EquipmentLeasesMember		 [1]      
Service Payments        
Future minimum annual lease and service payments        
2015 13,946,000us-gaap_ContractualObligationFutureMinimumPaymentsDueRemainderOfFiscalYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_ServicePaymentsMember		      
2016 8,844,000us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInSecondYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_ServicePaymentsMember		      
2017 4,710,000us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInThirdYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_ServicePaymentsMember		      
2018 4,084,000us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInFourthYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_ServicePaymentsMember		      
2019 1,397,000us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInFifthYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_ServicePaymentsMember		      
Thereafter 0us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueAfterFifthYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_ServicePaymentsMember		      
Future minimum annual lease and service payments 32,981,000us-gaap_ContractualObligation
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_ServicePaymentsMember		      
Facility Leases        
Future minimum annual lease and service payments        
2015 18,555,000us-gaap_ContractualObligationFutureMinimumPaymentsDueRemainderOfFiscalYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_FacilityLeasesMember		 [2]      
2016 16,715,000us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInSecondYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_FacilityLeasesMember		 [2]      
2017 13,281,000us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInThirdYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_FacilityLeasesMember		 [2]      
2018 13,005,000us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInFourthYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_FacilityLeasesMember		 [2]      
2019 12,461,000us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueInFifthYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_FacilityLeasesMember		 [2]      
Thereafter 40,970,000us-gaap_ContractualObligationDueAfterFifthYear
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_FacilityLeasesMember		 [2]      
Future minimum annual lease and service payments $ 114,987,000us-gaap_ContractualObligation
/ cown_ContractualCommitmentsByCommitmentAxis
= cown_FacilityLeasesMember		 [2]      
[1] Equipment Leases include the Company's commitments relating to operating and capital leases. See Note 19 for further information on the capital lease minimum payments which are included in the table.
[2] The Company has entered into various agreements to sublease certain of its premises. The Company recorded sublease income related to these leases of $1.8 million, $1.5 million, and $1.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively.