Condensed Statements of Income (unaudited) (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012
Condensed Statements of Income (unaudited) [Abstract]
Equity in net income attributable to AllianceBernstein Unitholders	$ 42,997	$ 32,707
Income taxes	4,766	6,008
Net income	$ 38,231	$ 26,699
Net income per unit:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.38	$ 0.26
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.38	$ 0.26