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Investments (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Investments owned $ 728,751us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue   $ 763,475us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
Long-term incentive compensation obligations 80,546us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentsOwnedAtFairValue   98,779us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentsOwnedAtFairValue
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Trading Securities [Abstract]      
Net gains recognized during the period 6,784us-gaap_NetRealizedOrUnrealizedGainLossOnTradingSecurities 14,812us-gaap_NetRealizedOrUnrealizedGainLossOnTradingSecurities  
Less: net gains recognized during the period on trading securities sold during the period 6,047us-gaap_TradingSecuritiesRealizedGainLoss 4,404us-gaap_TradingSecuritiesRealizedGainLoss  
Unrealized gains recognized during the period on trading securities held 737us-gaap_TradingSecuritiesUnrealizedHoldingGainLoss 10,408us-gaap_TradingSecuritiesUnrealizedHoldingGainLoss  
Consolidated Private Equity Fund [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Investments owned 34,130us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= ablp_ConsolidatedPrivateEquityFundMember
  32,604us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= ablp_ConsolidatedPrivateEquityFundMember
Percentage of seed capital (in hundredths) 10.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= ablp_ConsolidatedPrivateEquityFundMember
  10.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= ablp_ConsolidatedPrivateEquityFundMember
Private Equity [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Investments owned 48,724us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= ablp_PrivateEquityMember
  48,734us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= ablp_PrivateEquityMember
Available-for-Sale Investments [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Investments owned 6,442us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember
  6,172us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesMember
Trading Investments [Member] | Long-term Incentive Compensation-Related [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Investments owned 60,594us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= ablp_LongTermIncentiveCompensationRelatedMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_TradingAccountAssetsMember
  74,095us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= ablp_LongTermIncentiveCompensationRelatedMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_TradingAccountAssetsMember
Trading Investments [Member] | Equities [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Investments owned 59,508us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_TradingAccountAssetsMember
  79,720us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_TradingAccountAssetsMember
Trading Investments [Member] | Exchange Traded Options [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Investments owned 6,767us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= us-gaap_ExchangeTradedOptionsMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_TradingAccountAssetsMember
  22,290us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= us-gaap_ExchangeTradedOptionsMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_TradingAccountAssetsMember
Trading Investments [Member] | U.S Treasury Bills [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Investments owned 28,995us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= us-gaap_USTreasuryBillSecuritiesMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_TradingAccountAssetsMember
  28,982us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= us-gaap_USTreasuryBillSecuritiesMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_TradingAccountAssetsMember
Trading Investments [Member] | Seed Capital [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Investments owned 425,805us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= ablp_SeedCapitalMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_TradingAccountAssetsMember
  400,746us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= ablp_SeedCapitalMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= us-gaap_TradingAccountAssetsMember
Investments in Limited Partnership Hedge Funds [Member] | Long-term Incentive Compensation-Related [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Investments owned 19,952us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= ablp_LongTermIncentiveCompensationRelatedMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= ablp_InvestmentsInLimitedPartnershipHedgeFundsMember
  24,684us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= ablp_LongTermIncentiveCompensationRelatedMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= ablp_InvestmentsInLimitedPartnershipHedgeFundsMember
Investments in Limited Partnership Hedge Funds [Member] | Seed Capital [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Investments owned 26,366us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= ablp_SeedCapitalMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= ablp_InvestmentsInLimitedPartnershipHedgeFundsMember
  33,951us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentSecondaryCategorizationAxis
= ablp_SeedCapitalMember
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= ablp_InvestmentsInLimitedPartnershipHedgeFundsMember
Other Investment [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Investments owned $ 11,468us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= ablp_OtherInvestmentMember
  $ 11,497us-gaap_InvestmentOwnedAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis
= ablp_OtherInvestmentMember