<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-11-17</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001029730</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>LADENBURG THALMANN FINANCIAL SERVICES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>LTS</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0000898860</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>FROST PHILLIP MD ET AL</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>4400 BISCAYNE BOULEVARD</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>MIAMI</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>FL</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>33137</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeTable><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock, $.0001 par value per share</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-11-17</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>P</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>2500</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>.43</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>1781466</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>Held by Frost Gamma Investments Trust</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction></nonDerivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">These assets are held by Frost Gamma Investments Trust, of which the reporting person is the trustee and Frost Gamma Limited Partnership is the sole and exclusive beneficiary.  The reporting person is the sole limited partner of Frost Gamma L.P.  The general partner of Frost Gamma, L.P. is Frost Gamma, Inc. and the sole shareholder of Frost Gamma, Inc. is Frost-Nevada Corporation.  The reporting person is also the sole shareholder of Frost-Nevada Corporation.</footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>/s/ Phillip Frost, M.D. and Phillip Frost, M.D., Trustee of Frost Gamma Investments Trust (Joint Filer)</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-11-18</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

