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Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading Lazard Capital Allocator Opportunistic Strategies Portfolio
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock

The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Portfolio.

Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination 2015-04-30
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Portfolio shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio’s portfolio turnover rate was 193% of the average value of its portfolio.

Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 193.00%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.


The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same, giving effect to the fee waiver and expense reimbursement arrangement in year one only. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

The Portfolio utilizes an asset allocation strategy to invest in a global portfolio of uncorrelated assets that can include exposure, through underlying vehicles, to stocks, bonds, commodities and other investments.


The Portfolio invests primarily in common stock of exchange-traded open-end management investment companies and similar products, which generally pursue a passive index-based strategy (commonly known as ETFs), as well as actively managed closed-end management investment companies (“closed-end funds”) and exchange-traded notes (“ETNs” and collectively with ETFs and closed-end funds, “Underlying Funds”). ETFs and ETNs in which the Portfolio may invest include both ETFs and ETNs designed to correlate directly with an index and ETFs and ETNs designed to correlate inversely with an index and may include actively-managed ETFs. The Portfolio, through Underlying Funds in which it invests, may invest in non-US companies (including those in emerging markets), and the Portfolio also may invest directly in equity and debt securities in addition to its investments in Underlying Funds. The Portfolio’s investment portfolio is concentrated in a relatively small number of holdings (generally 10 to 30). Investors can invest directly in Underlying Funds and do not need to invest in Underlying Funds through mutual funds or separately managed accounts.


The Portfolio may, but is not required to, effect short sales of securities; enter into equity, total return and currency swap agreements, and forward currency contracts; and write put and covered call options on securities (including ETFs and ETNs), indexes and currencies, for hedging purposes or to seek to increase returns, including as a substitute for purchasing an Underlying Fund.


When the Investment Manager determines that adverse market conditions exist, the Portfolio may adopt a temporary defensive position and invest some or all of its assets in money market instruments. In pursuing a temporary defensive strategy, the Portfolio may forgo potentially more profitable investment strategies and, as a result, may not achieve its stated investment objective.


Although the Portfolio is classified as “diversified” under the 1940 Act, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified, investment portfolios.

Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Investment Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

The value of your investment in the Portfolio will fluctuate, which means you could lose money.


Market Risk. Market risks, including political, regulatory, market and economic developments, and developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market, can affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio.


Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.


Underlying Funds Risk. Shares of ETFs and closed-end funds in which the Portfolio invests may trade at prices that vary from their NAVs, sometimes significantly. The shares of ETFs and closed-end funds may trade at prices at, below or above their most recent NAV. Shares of closed-end funds, in particular, frequently trade at persistent discounts to their NAV. In addition, the performance of an ETF pursuing a passive index-based strategy may diverge from the performance of the index. ETNs may not trade in the secondary market, but typically are redeemable by the issuer. The Portfolio’s investments in Underlying Funds are subject to the risks of Underlying Funds’ investments, as well as to the general risks of investing in Underlying Funds. Portfolio shares will bear not only the Portfolio’s management fees and operating expenses, but also their proportional share of the management fees and operating expenses of the ETFs and closed-end funds in which the Portfolio invests. While ETNs do not have management fees, they are subject to certain investor fees. ETNs are debt securities that, like ETFs, typically are listed on exchanges and their terms generally provide for a return that tracks specified market indexes. However, unlike ETFs and closed-end funds, ETNs are not registered investment companies and thus are not regulated under the 1940 Act. In addition, as debt securities, ETNs are subject to the additional risk of the creditworthiness of the issuer. ETNs typically do not make periodic interest payments.


The Portfolio may be limited by the 1940 Act in the amount of its assets that may be invested in ETFs and closed-end funds unless an ETF or a closed-end fund has received an exemptive order from the SEC on which the Portfolio may rely or an exemption is available.


Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.


Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries can generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile. However, capital markets worldwide have experienced unprecedented volatility in recent years, causing significant declines in valuation and liquidity in certain emerging markets. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies. The Portfolio’s investments could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of emerging market currencies.


Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Currency investments could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of emerging market currencies.


Debt Securities Risk. The market value of debt securities is affected by changes in prevailing interest rates and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. When prevailing interest rates fall or perceived credit quality improves, the market value of the affected debt securities generally rises. Conversely, when interest rates rise or perceived credit quality weakens, the market value of the affected debt securities generally declines.


Non-Diversification Risk. The Portfolio’s NAV may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolio’s investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.


Short Sale Risk. Short sales may involve substantial risks. Short sales of securities expose the Portfolio to the risk that it will be required to “cover” the short position at a time when the underlying security has appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss to the Portfolio that could be substantial.


Derivatives Risk. Derivatives transactions, including those entered into for hedging purposes, may reduce returns or increase volatility, perhaps substantially. Over-the-counter swap agreements, forward currency contracts, over-the-counter options on securities (including options on ETFs and ETNs), indexes and currencies and other over-the-counter derivatives transactions are subject to the risk of default by the counterparty and can be illiquid. These derivatives transactions, as well as the exchange-traded options in which the Portfolio may invest, are subject to many of the risks of, and can be highly sensitive to changes in the value of, the related index, commodity, interest rate, currency, security or other reference asset. As such, a small investment could have a potentially large impact on the Portfolio’s performance. Use of derivatives transactions, even when entered into for hedging purposes, may cause the Portfolio to experience losses greater than if the Portfolio had not engaged in such transactions.


High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Portfolio’s investment strategy may involve high portfolio turnover (such as 100% or more). A portfolio turnover rate of 100%, for example, is equivalent to the Portfolio buying and selling all of its securities once during the course of the year. A high portfolio turnover rate could result in high transaction costs and an increase in taxable capital gains distributions to the Portfolio’s shareholders, which will reduce returns to shareholders.

Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney The value of your investment in the Portfolio will fluctuate, which means you could lose money.
Risk Nondiversified Status [Text] rr_RiskNondiversifiedStatus The Portfolio's NAV may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolio's investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance Bar Chart and Table Year-by-Year Total Returns for Institutional Shares As of 12/31
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The accompanying bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in Lazard Capital Allocator Opportunistic Strategies Portfolio by showing the Portfolio’s year-by-year performance and its average annual performance compared to that of a broad measure of market performance. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Portfolio’s Institutional Shares has varied from year to year. Updated performance information is available at www.LazardNet.com or by calling (800) 823-6300. The Portfolio’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.

Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The accompanying bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in Lazard Capital Allocator Opportunistic Strategies Portfolio by showing the Portfolio's year-by-year performance and its average annual performance compared to that of a broad measure of market performance.
Performance Additional Market Index [Text] rr_PerformanceAdditionalMarketIndex The Global Asset Allocation Blended Index is rebalanced quarterly and is a blended index constructed by the Investment Manager that is comprised of 60% MSCI World Index and 40% Barclays Capital US Aggregate Bond Index.
Performance Availability Phone [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone (800) 823-6300
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress www.LazardNet.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The Portfolio's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock

 

 

 

 

Best Quarter:
6/30/09  14.66%
 
Worst Quarter:
9/30/11  -10.44%

Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 14.66%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2011
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (10.44%)
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading Average Annual Total Returns (for the periods ended December 31, 2013)
Index No Deduction for Fees, Expenses, Taxes [Text] rr_IndexNoDeductionForFeesExpensesTaxes (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text] rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown After-tax returns are shown only for Institutional Shares. After-tax returns of the Portfolio's other share classes will vary.
Performance Table Narrative rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock

After-tax returns are shown only for Institutional Shares. After-tax returns of the Portfolio’s other share classes will vary. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. Returns shown below for the Portfolio’s R6 Shares (which were not operational as of December 31, 2013) reflect the performance of the Portfolio’s Institutional Shares. R6 Shares would have had substantially similar returns as Institutional Shares because the share classes are invested in the same portfolio of securities, and the returns would differ only to the extent that the classes do not have the same expenses.


The Global Asset Allocation Blended Index is rebalanced quarterly and is a blended index constructed by the Investment Manager that is comprised of 60% MSCI World Index and 40% Barclays Capital US Aggregate Bond Index.

MSCI World Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (Institutional)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 26.68%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 15.02%
Life of Portfolio rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 4.75%
MSCI World Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (Open)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 26.68%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 15.02%
Life of Portfolio rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 4.84%
Global Asset Allocation Blended Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (Institutional)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 14.55%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 11.21%
Life of Portfolio rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 5.30%
Global Asset Allocation Blended Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) (Open)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 14.55%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 11.21%
Life of Portfolio rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 5.35%
Institutional Shares
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of Amount Redeemed) rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption (1.00%)
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 1.00%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Dividend and Interest Expenses on Securities Sold Short rr_Component1OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.13%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (Underlying Funds) rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets 0.45%
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.58%
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.11%) [1]
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.47% [1]
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 150
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 488
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 850
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,869
Annual Return 2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 21.21%
Annual Return 2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 14.58%
Annual Return 2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 (3.28%)
Annual Return 2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 9.16%
Annual Return 2013 rr_AnnualReturn2013 12.22%
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 12.22%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 10.47%
Life of Portfolio rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 4.04%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Mar. 26, 2008
Institutional Shares | After Taxes on Distributions
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 8.32%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 9.39%
Life of Portfolio rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 2.95%
Institutional Shares | After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Portfolio Shares
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 7.39%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 8.03%
Life of Portfolio rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 2.81%
Open Shares
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of Amount Redeemed) rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption (1.00%)
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 1.00%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.25%
Dividend and Interest Expenses on Securities Sold Short rr_Component1OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.59%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (Underlying Funds) rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets 0.45%
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 2.29%
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.52%) [1]
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.77% [1]
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 180
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 666
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 1,178
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 2,585
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 11.90%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 10.11%
Life of Portfolio rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 3.80%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Mar. 31, 2008
R6 Shares
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of Amount Redeemed) rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption (1.00%)
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 1.00%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Dividend and Interest Expenses on Securities Sold Short rr_Component1OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.13% [2]
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (Underlying Funds) rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets 0.45% [2]
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.58%
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.16%) [1]
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 1.42% [1]
Other Expenses, New Fund, Based on Estimates [Text] rr_OtherExpensesNewFundBasedOnEstimates Based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year, using amounts for Institutional Shares from the last fiscal year.
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, Based on Estimates [Text] rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesBasedOnEstimates Based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year, using amounts for Institutional Shares from the last fiscal year.
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 145
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 483
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 845
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 1,865
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 12.22%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 10.47%
Life of Portfolio rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 4.04%
[1] Reflects a contractual agreement by the Investment Manager to waive its fee and, if necessary, reimburse the Portfolio through April 30, 2015, to the extent Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses exceed 1.02%, 1.32% and .97% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio's Institutional Shares, Open Shares and R6 Shares, respectively, exclusive of taxes, brokerage, interest on borrowings, dividend and interest expenses on securities sold short, fees and expenses of "Acquired Funds" and extraordinary expenses, and excluding shareholder redemption fees or other transaction fees. This agreement can only be amended by agreement of the Fund, upon approval by the Board, and the Investment Manager to lower the net amount shown and will terminate automatically in the event of termination of the Investment Management Agreement between the Investment Manager and the Fund, on behalf of the Portfolio.
[2] Based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year, using amounts for Institutional Shares from the last fiscal year.