Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Jan. 20, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011		Sep. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2011		Mar. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Sep. 30, 2010		Jun. 30, 2010		Mar. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Jan. 31, 2012
Cash Distributions [Abstract]
Subsequent Cash Distribution, Declaration Date																		2012-02-10
Subsequent Cash Distribution, Amount																		$ 12,600,000
Subsequent Cash Distribution, Distribution Declared (in dollars per unit)																		$ 0.12
Subsequent Cash Distribution, Distribution Date																		2012-03-08
Subsequent Cash Distribution, Record Date																		2012-02-21
Total cash distributions per Unit paid to unitholders (in dollars per unit)		$ 0.12	[1],[2]	$ 0.26	[3]	$ 0.34	[3]	$ 0.42	[3]	$ 0.42	[1]	$ 0.12	[1]	$ 0.31	[1]	$ 0.46	[1]	$ 1.44	$ 1.51	$ 1.44
Deferred Compensation Plans [Abstract]
Holding Units Purchased in Period (in units)																		13,500,000	8,800,000
Dollar Amount Paid for Holding Units Acquired																		220,800,000	226,400,000
Open-Market Purchases of Holding Units (in units)																		11,100,000	7,400,000
Dollar Amount Paid for Open-Market Purchases of Holding Units																		192,100,000	195,300,000
Restricted Holding Unit Awards to Employees (in units)	8,700,000																	1,700,000	13,100,000
Employee allocation percentage maximum (in hundredths)		50.00%																50.00%
Deferred cash maximum per employee		250,000																250,000
One-time, non-cash deferred compensation charge		587,100,000																587,100,000
Deferred compensation liability for the full dollar value of the awards		159,900,000																159,900,000
Reclassified liability to partners' capital																					$ 130,300,000
Unallocated Holding Units Remaining in the Consolidated Rabbi Trust (in holding units)		13,600,000																13,600,000			6,200,000
Options to buy holding units Outstanding, Number		8,994,229																8,994,229
Options outstanding and exercisable, number		3,316,961																3,316,961
Percentage of unrecognized deferred incentive compensation expense recognized (in hundredths)		100.00%																100.00%

[1] Declared and paid during the following quarter.

[2] The 2011 distribution excludes the impact of AllianceBernstein's $587.1 million one-time, non-cash deferred compensation charge.

[3] Basic and diluted net income per unit are computed independently for each of the periods presented. Accordingly, the sum of the quarterly net income per unit amounts may not agree to the total for the year.